With all that is going on in the world today, I think what the world, and each of us need, more than ever, more than anything else, is to develop a personal prayer life, a lifeline to God. The more of us who would have this relationship, and seek to nurture it everyday, the more peace and joy we would have, and the world would become a more peaceful place.
How appropriate then to speak about Jesus and prayer. The Catechism speaks of the fact that:
a) Jesus prayed
b) Jesus teaches us to pray
c) Jesus hears our prayer
Let us review each in order.
Jesus prayed. What was new about Jesus' prayer was that it was filial. Jesus addressed the Father as a son. He prayed before all the key moments and decisions in his life; his Baptism, his Transfiguration, the choosing of the Apostles, the Last Supper, and the Agony in the Garden. He usually begins his prayer with thanksgiving: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children (Matthew 11:25) , “Father, I thank you that you have heard me" (John 11: 41) His prayer was truly a gift of himself. The 7 last words of Our Lord, all on the Cross, are at once prayer, and self-donation: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do", "I thirst", "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", "It is finished", "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:34, John 19:28, Mark 15:34, John 19:30, Luke 23:46). In the letter to the Hebrews, we read a summary of the fruits of Jesus' life of prayer. "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ."(5:7-9). Jesus' prayer to the Father encompasses the cry of all humanity, and the Father answered his prayer by raising him from the dead, which won us all salvation.
Jesus teaches us to pray. He teaches prayer is about conversion of heart. We are to reconcile with others before making offerings to God, we are to pray for our enemies and persecutors, we are to forgive, be pure, and pray in secret, so as not to be able to boast. Once we are converted, we are to pray in faith. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7-11). We have to believe that what we ask for will be granted. Jesus admires great faith, and is saddened by lack of, or little faith. We have to be patient and watchful, but always hopeful, with expectation. We are to ask in his name, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus hears our prayer. Jesus hears the prayer of the leper, the good thief, the blind man, the sinful woman, and others throughout the Gospels. He always responds to a prayer made in faith.
The Catechism, in paragraph 2616, quotes Saint Augustine who says " He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us." We said Jesus prays. Who does he pray for? Us. We said Jesus teaches us to pray. When we pray as Jesus taught, he prays in us. We said Jesus hears our prayer. When we pray to Jesus as God, that is what happens.
The title of the section of the Catechism where this information comes from is entitled In the Fullness of Time. It says in paragraph 2598, "the drama of prayer is fully revealed to us in the Word who became flesh and dwells among us". There was never before, and will never be again, a deeper revealing of the mystery of prayer than is revealed in the Second Person of the Trinity, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus' prayer is perfect. Jesus' prayer absorbs all the prayers and hopes of humanity, from the beginning of time to the end of it. Jesus is the perfect model of prayer. Our prayer can only bear fruit if prayed in and through him. What Jesus prays for, he receives. Whatever we pray for in Jesus' name, we receive.
Let us ask for the grace to be humble, to be faithful, to be patient, to be persevering, but to be expecting, and always aware God hears our prayers. If we develop these dispositions, our prayer will bear more and more fruit for ourselves, and for the entire world. The prayer of one humble, faithful soul can change the world. Imagine if all of us became that way! Truly, the Kingdom would come!
The Catechism, in paragraph 2599, states explicitly that Jesus learned to pray from his mother. However, just because it does not say it explicitly, I am sure Jesus learned at least a little of something of prayer, too, from his foster father, our good Saint Joseph. Two of the titles of Joseph in the litany to him, most faithful, and mirror of patience, speak to values we have spoken of already in this post. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that Joseph was a man of prayer. The Holy Family would not have been holy if only two of its three members prayed, as tempting as it might be to think otherwise. Let us pray to Joseph, that he might help us become better at prayer, and teach us, as he did, to learn from Jesus and Mary how to pray.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
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