In our Gospel we’re reminded to pray constantly- so why doesn't God answer
our prayers right away?
Our gospel (Luke 18:1-8) is pretty straight-forward in responding to this question, if an unjust human judge will give in to persistent cries for help, will not a just God respond to persistent cries for justice? Of course He will! But here is the key: are we willing to be patient and allow God to respond in His own way and in His own time? This requires faith, believing that the Lord hears and will answer all prayers that are in harmony with His will.
There is a footnote in the bible which says that persistent prayer is needed to avoid a renunciation of faith or apostasy, and this is a sad truth. We all know someone who has simply stopped going to Mass, and their straying from the Sacraments has its roots in the non-existence of a real prayer life. I think we all know what happens when our prayer life becomes lax, or when we find excuses not to use quality time to pray. Eventually this spiritual slackness expands. When Jesus is not at the center of our daily lives, the virtues become harder to live out, and the vices and occasions of sin seem to crop up much more frequently as the enemy gains a foothold in our life. The deadly danger is the short distance between negligence in prayer and eventual loss of faith.
To avoid this deadly path to an inactive spiritual life, we need to follow the gospel message today: be persistent in our prayer life. A great image is presented in the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13). As long as Moses had his hands raised in intercessory prayer, the battle went well for the Israelites. But when he stopped interceding through prayer, the enemy gained an advantage. And when others joined Moses to help with the intercession, the battle against the enemy was won.
This is what the Queen of Peace, who continues to appear at Medjugorje since 1981, has been urging all Catholics to do: to pray for peace ("there will be no peace without prayer and fasting"), and to pray for our priests and deacons to help them in their prayers for us. She asks us to pray the rosary daily; to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays; to read scripture daily; to attend Mass every Sunday and as often on weekdays as possible; and to go to Confession monthly (Sacrament of Reconciliation at OLR on Saturday 9:30am & 5:00pm. )
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
(CCC 2573). Reminds us that God renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel before he confronts his elder brother Esau. Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but who blesses him before leaving him at dawn. From this account the spiritual tradition of the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of perseverance. The gospel today is centered on persistence in prayer and the patience of faith. CCC 2613 outlines three parables in which Luke outlines the need for prayer.
“CCC” stands for Catechism of the Catholic Church: and an online version can be found at: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.htm
our prayers right away?
Our gospel (Luke 18:1-8) is pretty straight-forward in responding to this question, if an unjust human judge will give in to persistent cries for help, will not a just God respond to persistent cries for justice? Of course He will! But here is the key: are we willing to be patient and allow God to respond in His own way and in His own time? This requires faith, believing that the Lord hears and will answer all prayers that are in harmony with His will.
There is a footnote in the bible which says that persistent prayer is needed to avoid a renunciation of faith or apostasy, and this is a sad truth. We all know someone who has simply stopped going to Mass, and their straying from the Sacraments has its roots in the non-existence of a real prayer life. I think we all know what happens when our prayer life becomes lax, or when we find excuses not to use quality time to pray. Eventually this spiritual slackness expands. When Jesus is not at the center of our daily lives, the virtues become harder to live out, and the vices and occasions of sin seem to crop up much more frequently as the enemy gains a foothold in our life. The deadly danger is the short distance between negligence in prayer and eventual loss of faith.
To avoid this deadly path to an inactive spiritual life, we need to follow the gospel message today: be persistent in our prayer life. A great image is presented in the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13). As long as Moses had his hands raised in intercessory prayer, the battle went well for the Israelites. But when he stopped interceding through prayer, the enemy gained an advantage. And when others joined Moses to help with the intercession, the battle against the enemy was won.
This is what the Queen of Peace, who continues to appear at Medjugorje since 1981, has been urging all Catholics to do: to pray for peace ("there will be no peace without prayer and fasting"), and to pray for our priests and deacons to help them in their prayers for us. She asks us to pray the rosary daily; to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays; to read scripture daily; to attend Mass every Sunday and as often on weekdays as possible; and to go to Confession monthly (Sacrament of Reconciliation at OLR on Saturday 9:30am & 5:00pm. )
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!
(CCC 2573). Reminds us that God renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel before he confronts his elder brother Esau. Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but who blesses him before leaving him at dawn. From this account the spiritual tradition of the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of perseverance. The gospel today is centered on persistence in prayer and the patience of faith. CCC 2613 outlines three parables in which Luke outlines the need for prayer.
“CCC” stands for Catechism of the Catholic Church: and an online version can be found at: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc2.htm
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