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LIVING OUT OUR
PRAYERS
20 FEBRUARY, 2018, Tuesday, 1st Week
of Lent
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Isaiah 55:10-11 ©
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The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty
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Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the
heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and
giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the
word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out
my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 33(34):4-7,16-19 ©
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The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt4:4
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Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
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Gospel
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Matthew 6:7-15 ©
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How to pray
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the
pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves
heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
So you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in
debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father
will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not
forgive your failings either.’
LIVING OUT OUR PRAYERS
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [ ISA 55:10-11; PS 34:4-7, 16-19; MT 6:7-15 ]
Today, we focus on the first pillar of our Lenten program, which is
prayer. Yesterday, the theme of the mass focused on
the second pillar of the Lenten spiritual exercises, namely, on justice,
charity and almsgiving. These two themes are closely related. The goal of
prayer is charity. Prayer is not an end in itself but to enable us to be
immersed in the love of God so that with that love, we can love others.
That is why right from the start, the Church warns of futile prayers
that does no one any good. Jesus warns us, “In your prayers
do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they
will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what
you need before you ask him.” Indeed, some of us might think that we are
holy and pious just because we increase our time for prayers and devotions,
such as praying the rosary, attending the Stations of the Cross and other pious
exercises. Many of us could be doing all these things and yet our lives
are not transformed in any way, including those who attend daily mass out of
routine and devotion.
Because we do not pray with our hearts or even meditate with our minds,
what we say is mere lip service, something that we rattle off, without
consciously imbibing what we say, or pray, and without feeling what we
express. Indeed, sometimes, I wonder whether the pious devotional
prayers, including the traditional Stations, that we pray at our churches are
impacting lives. We try to meditate quickly the 14 Stations in half an
hour, so much so we hardly have any time to let the thoughts and the sentiments
sink into our heads and hearts. It is just touch and go. So too,
for the rosary and other devotions as well. If only we take time to
deepen our reflection, let the thoughts linger a bit longer and let our hearts
be moved by the words, our lives will be transformed. Indeed, the
Stations of the Cross and the Rosary are some of the most powerful forms of
devotional prayers that can be used for the transformation of lives.
In a special way, this is also true for all formula prayers, including
the Lord’s Prayer that the Lord taught us in the gospel. This
prayer is the pattern of all prayers. It is not so much that the prayer
itself is inspired, beautiful and succinct, but because it provides us the way
we should pray, and the principles that should guide our prayers.
Jesus only taught us one prayer and that is sufficient because it is the prayer
that should help us to make our own prayers.
The Lord’s Prayer sums up the whole teaching of Jesus with regards to
God, our neighbour and ourselves. It is about
relationship and trust and forgiveness. It tells us how we should pray
and what we should be praying for. Many of us have the wrong disposition
for prayer and often pray for the wrong things. As St Paul said, “We do
not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans.” (Rom 8:26)
We need to pray in the Spirit, which is what the Lord’s Prayer seeks to
communicate – the Spirit of Jesus at prayer. The Lord’s Prayer, coming at
the center of the Sermon on the Mount, is the heart of Jesus’ teaching, and
summarizes what He wants to communicate to us. In the Lord’s Prayer,
Jesus sums up His teachings and also the entire bible. What the bible
teaches us about God, life, providence, trust, mercy, forgiveness and charity
are captured in the Lord’s Prayer. Every verse of the Lord’s Prayer can
be associated with the scripture texts elsewhere in the bible, especially in
the psalms. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church concludes the hour of
praise and thanksgiving with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, a fitting
summary and conclusion to the prayers of the Church.
So what are the principles that we should bear in mind when we
pray? Firstly, we must be conscious that God is not just almighty and
omnipotent. He is our Father. He
is not someone whom we fear but someone whom we love. He is a Father who
cares for us all. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mt 5:45)
And He looks after our needs. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not
sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Mt 6:26)
He is the Father who is ever ready to forgive us when we fail, and to welcome
us home. We read this in the parables of the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep
and the Lost Coin. (cf Lk 15)
The psalmist says, “I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors
he set me free.” Beyond recognizing that God is our Father, we must
therefore regard all men and women as our brothers and sisters. “Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” (Heb 2:11)
Secondly, our whole life is for the glory of God. This
is what we pray, “may your name be held holy.” We are called to
glorify God by our lives. This is what St Paul urges us, “So
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)
Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave
me to do.” (Jn 17:4) Only by glorifying Him, can we also share
in His glory. “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the
glory I had with you before the world began.” (Jn 17:5) “I
have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one
– I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete
unity” (Jn 17:22f) This is what the psalmist says as well.
“Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name.”
Thirdly, we give glory to God only by doing His will perfectly. This
is what the first reading asks of us. The prophet says, “As the rain and the
snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth,
making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for
the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty,
without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”
When we do the will of God, then we know that God rules in our lives.
Jesus’ whole life was lived in obedience to God, doing His holy will. “My food
is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Jn 4:34)
Most of all, at the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord said, “My Father, if it is
not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be
done.” (Mt 26:42)
Fourthly, we are called to trust in the divine providence of God.
“Give us today our daily bread.” As Jesus tells us in the gospel, “But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Mt 6:33f)
We pray for what we need daily and what we need the most daily is the Word of
God, the bread of life. This daily bread refers not just to our daily
needs but also the bread of life, the Word of God and the Eucharist, the bread
of tomorrow. This is also the faith of the psalmist when he says,
“Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This
poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his
distress. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their
distress. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is
crushed he will save.”
Above all, the Lord asks us to pray for forgiveness, which is the heart
of the gospel. “And forgive us our debts, as we have
forgiven those who are in debt to us.” This is the heart of prayer as
well. If we are not forgiving, we will impede the grace of God from
flowing towards us. A man with a vindictive heart will not be able to find
peace in his life. Indeed, Jesus reminds us, “Yes, if you forgive others
their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not
forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.” As the
psalmist says, “The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their
remembrance from the earth. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to
their appeal.” When we do not forgive, we hurt ourselves primarily
because we are prisoners of our enemies.
Finally, every prayer must conclude with a prayer for the grace of God
to protect us from all evil. “And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.” Living a godly life is not solely
dependent on our will and strength because we are fighting against the evil
one. We need to pray for God’s strength to resist temptations.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor
of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Eph 6:10f)
This means that we should cooperate with His grace by avoiding the occasion of
sin. Let us take heed of Peter’s advice, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety
on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pt 5:6-8)
Only when we seek to walk in His path, can we find peace and joy.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh,
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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