DAILY HOMILIES #prayer

Who suffers more when I don’t forgive? Is it me or the one who offended me? So far, we have seen that I suffer more when I don’t forgive. Forgiveness is hard, but better than holding on to past grudges and pain. If it weren’t a better option, Jesus would not have recommended it. In today’s second reading, St. Paul says, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” Remember: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return.” (Job 1:21). Make your life a blessing to others; forgive and be kind even to those who hurt you. This world is not our own; we are just passing through it.

A blind man cannot lead a blind man. To be a good leader, one must be above his followers. You must have a vision, see the future you intend to create, and ensure your followers see it. You cannot be a good leader if you cannot see beyond your followers. Perhaps this explains our situation in this country.

The key to overcoming the temptation of jealousy and quarrelling is seeking the Holy Spirit through constant prayer. Did you notice that in today’s Gospel passage, immediately after the healing and casting-out-of-demons session, Jesus retreated to a quiet place to pray? This is an important lesson. Jesus did not “need” prayer, yet He never took prayer for granted. If you value prayer, you will always make time for it. Even if it means rising early or staying up all night, you will never let a day pass without spending time in communion with God.

Jesus started with prayer, and throughout His public ministry, He never joked with it. He would rise early in the morning, go to a quiet place to pray (Luke 4:42), and at the end of the day, after dismissing the crowd, he would go again to a lonely place to pray. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46). He would even spend a whole night praying (Luke 6:12). When you are prayerful, a certain aura goes with you; you don’t need to shout or make noise. Your very presence in any space is already a threat to demons. Jesus did not break a sweat dealing with the demon-possessed man. As we often say: “power pass power.”

Do you want your prayers to be heard? God says, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16-17). There is no point moving from Church to Church or subjecting yourself to abuse in the hands of so-called powerful miracle workers; repent of the evil around you, and God will grant your prayers. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The question is not whether or not we will face trials, but how do we respond in such moments? Faced with the storms, the disciples expected the worst; they cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” Jesus was disappointed with them not because they prayed but because they prayed with fear; that is, they were not expecting their prayers to be answered.

Elijah told Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said: “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha, like Solomon, was given a blank cheque to ask for anything. He could have asked for riches, long life or the death of his enemies, but he asked for a double share of Elijah’s spirit. When I pray, what do I ask for? Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). With God, all things are possible. If you do not seek, you will not find.

Jesus did not curse the temple; instead, he restored its original purpose by driving out those who were buying and selling and scattering their tables. If we must bear fruit, we must constantly look inwards and cleanse ourselves of those things within us that God hates. At the end of each day, take some moments to examine your conscience and find out if there are things to be thrown away or built upon.

Rather than praying for a long life, let us pray for a life that has a significant impact. Rather than wish death away, let us pray for the grace to accomplish our purpose on earth. Rather than fear death, let us fear sin, whatever would make us unworthy of being with the saints in heaven.

Perhaps, you do not even have an upper room. Why not create one today? If you consider prayer important, then just as you have a room in your house dedicated to cooking (the kitchen), you should at least dedicate a space for prayer, call it your upper room. Make use of your upper room. Spend more time in your upper room. Prayer is the master key!

Today, Jesus reveals the third strategy for dealing with the world’s hatred: Prayer. We often sing: “Prayer is the key. Prayer is the Key. Prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. Prayer is the master key.” Prayer is the key to unlocking happiness amid the troubles that must come our way if we obey God’s commandments in a world that prefers darkness to light.

If we desire to hear from the Holy Spirit, we must devote time to prayer and fasting. Without prayer, we are powerless against our enemies. When we fast, we involve our whole body in prayer. Fasting deepens our hunger and thirst for God. Fasting helps us control the desires of the flesh. If you want to hear from the Holy Spirit, there should be no contradiction between what you externally profess and what you do.