Among the many themes in the Gospel of St. Luke, one is how frequently Jesus goes off to pray. At all of the critical turning points in His life, calling the Apostles for example, St. Luke reminds us that Jesus went away to pray. St. Luke also reminds us repeatedly (like in 11, 5-13) that the God to whom Jesus prayed is a loving and caring Father – who will only give “good” to us. Why, then, do we have to persist in asking? Why do we have to ask at all? The reason Jesus asks us to persevere in prayer is not because God needs persuading. Persistence in prayer is for our benefit.
If we reflect for even a moment, we will have to admit that here are a number of (errant) ways of praying persistently. One is to keep begging God to give us something we want or that we think we need. Another is to think that somehow we can manipulate God or put Him under some kind of obligation by asking Him repeatedly. This line of thinking leads to this: “So, if I do a nine-day novena and say certain prayers each day, I may expect that God or some saint, somehow, is under an obligation to give me what I am asking for.” In fact, in some kinds of novenas or other devotional exercises, there are people who would tell us that “satisfaction is guaranteed.” This, however, is very close to superstition – if not heresy.
The kind of prayer that Jesus is talking about in the Gospels is really something quite different. He seems to presume that what we are asking for is the gift of God’s Spirit: “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” To ask for the Spirit is to ask to have the same Spirit that inspired Jesus in His life and work. It is a Spirit which is totally at one with the will of the Father. In St. Matthew’s Gospel, it is “good things” which the Father will give. What could be more of a “good thing” than the very Spirit of God?
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Join us on Thursdays in our parish church for Eucharistic Adoration. The church is open between 8:30am and 8:30pm. Drop in for an hour or for whatever amount of time you wish to make. We begin with the celebration of the Mass and conclude with the traditional Benediction (or blessing). All are welcome and all are invited to be persistent in prayer!
