Since the beginning of the school year, Saint Theodore
parish has walked in a special Year for Prayer—a time to reflect more deeply on
our relationship with God the Father and, also, a time to grow in a deeper
intimacy with Jesus.
During this Year for Prayer, we have seen many blessings and
many new initiatives. For example, the children and faculty at the school have
begun a 40 Day challenge of praying for a particular person or group of people
at our parish every day. With last weekend’s homily, we began a 30-day challenge
of gratitude, to think of three things to thank God for and to do this for 30
days. Before that, our spouses were encouraged to begin again the important practice of joining hands and praying together as a couple. If that isn’t
enough, we’ve added an extra Holy Mass on Wednesday evening (which has become a
date night for a few parishioners) and, overall, more people are attending
daily Mass. All the while, at every Staff Meeting and Committee meeting, our
parishioners are opening their hearts and revealing their needs and the needs
of those around them so that we can be united together in prayer for them. I’m
pleased with how this special Year of Prayer has begun. If you have not joined
us, I personally invite you to join us in a deeper relationship with Jesus.
***
Many decades ago, people would often begin prayer with the
Sign of the Cross while saying the words: “Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.” Back then, Catholics knew this prayer as well as we know “The
Lord be with you…”
Our
help is in the Name of the Lord. With these words, we call upon
the Name of Jesus who promises that what we ask in His Name will be given us—He
who is all-powerful, who made heaven and
earth. If He has the power to make heaven and earth, does He not have the
power to come to our help? Our help is in
the Name of the Lord! We must be confident in this, more confident, even,
than the widow who constantly bothered the dishonest judge as we heard in the
Gospel today.
For, in the Gospel, Jesus tell us: “Pay attention to what
the dishonest judge says.” Pay attention that even the dishonest one who had no
respect for anyone nevertheless answered the pleas of the widow.
Why does Jesus tell us to pay attention to this? Because if
such a dishonest one should come to bring an honest judgement, how much more so
will a good God bring an honest judgment to those who ask Him and love Him?
Hence, Jesus says,
Will
not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
***
In recent days, I have begun reading a phenomenal book by
Cardinal Sarah entitled “The Day is Now Far Spent.” In his first chapter, he notes
that the crisis of faith—the struggle to believe in a God who cares for us
and to lift up our hearts in prayer—this is The Battle of our time. A more grown-up
and mature Catholic realizes that prayer is not simply pious whisperings.
Prayer is a battle. And it is ferocious and requires courageousness.
See the first reading. You heard about Moses with his arms
lifted up to the Lord. He was praying. But what is going on around him? A
battle. This is not coincidental. There was a direct connection: when Moses
stopped praying, the people around him began to be slaughtered; and when he
prayed, the people were victorious!
Therefore, prayer is not only a battle. Prayer affects the outcome
of the battle.
Most people are blissfully unaware that there is a battle raging
around us. I could mention some of the more universal problems in our world and
in our Church. But, on a more local level, I have seen the battle raging. So,
for example: I have spoken with one person who has been oppressed by demonic
things happening in their home; another person seeing demonic things changing
their work environment; and another person who is struggling with an unexpected
hatred that has descended upon their family. And that’s what I’ve experienced
in just the past week.
Your
prayer will affect the outcome of these battles, brothers and sisters.
***
Indeed, Moses, who here prefigures all future priests, needs
help in his prayers. He cannot pray alone and be victorious.
This small detail provides us insight into another important dimension of
prayer: not only is prayer a battle, not only does it require confidence and
courage, but it also requires others. Prayer is not only an individual action,
but a communal one as well. This is why Holy Mass is so necessary. As the
priest lifts up his hands and arms at the altar, you are lifting his hands and
arms as well. And as we pray together, we start to gain victory in the battle: "For where two or more are gathered in my Name, there am I in their midst," says the Lord!
Hear again those last words of the Gospel. After Jesus tells
his disciples the parable about the
necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary, He asks them a
question:
When the Son of Man comes, will he find
faith on earth?
When the Son of Man comes at the very end of time, at the
end of all things, as the battle rages on, will Jesus, the just judge, who comes
to cast judgment upon the Earth (cf 2nd reading), find that we have
been victorious? Will He find us on His side—or just another casualty?
Who will have the courage to pray? Who will have the faith
to persevere in prayer?
Brothers and sisters, “be persistent,” as Paul says, “whether
it is convenient or inconvenient.” For, blessed are those servants whom the
Lord finds doing what He has commanded them.
Let us approach now with confidence, for
+ Our help is in the
Name of the Lord. Who made heaven and earth.