Once I was taking class in a Sunday school (instead of another teacher). I just asked a child in the class, how he prays and what he prays. His answer was so interesting… It was so: “dear Jesus, make my maths teacher sick tomorrow….”
And I asked why only the maths teacher?
Then he told, he couldn’t finish his homework for Monday and if he appears with out doing them, he gets some punishment.
He had “his good reason” for the prayer…
The Gospel passage of this Sunday explains Jesus’ prayer for his disciples. Not like the prayer of the child, of course. It is a prayer before his departure.
Jesus as the Son of God was really not in need of the help of his Father. Still he maintains here a certain politeness. Gospel says: Jesus is lifting his Eyes up to heaven…By this gesture Jesus is accepting the power and greatness of God the Father.
We should also recall: Who looks up? Certainly, the one who is smaller than the other has to do that. In Prayer life, one has to be “smaller or humbler”. Let us not forget the parable of two praying men in the temple: The Pharisee was pride, the Tax collector was humble. And the prayer of the humble tax collector was heard (Lk 18, 14). Yes, in our prayer life, the proper disposition of Heart is important. Prayer requires more humility than pride.
My dear friends, accepting the greatness of God in prayer is not a wrong step at all. Becoming humbler in prayer doesn’t mean, becoming slave or sacrificing one’s human dignity. I surely believe that Jesus doesn’t what to humiliate us. But we can perceive this “position”/disposition from another positive angle, which is; accepting the greatness of God means accepting his goodness…
We see Jesus glorifies his father (both in our father and here). But he also prays for others:
He prays not to save/free his friends from the world,
but to secure them from the evil in the world.
This is not only a Powerful prayer to resist the temptations in life but it is a realistic prayer. Jesus tells us to accept the life with faith and God’s help. We have to face the problems and trails, not run away from them.
More than that Jesus is not praying here for any material good.
All the more he prays for spiritual good.
Does that mean all our prayers for material good are wrong?
Of course we should pray for good health and good life etc...
But they should be according to the will of God. We should allow God to do his Will, not to fulfil our will and wishes.
We pray a lot … so much. I don’t know really, how many prayers do we have? How many prayer books do we have in our families or how many prayer services daily we have?
How much Rosaries, Holy Masses and other prayers are offered daily, for the sake of peace, health etc...
Still many things remain unchanged.
Why? Is there any reason for it?
I think we should be more serious in our prayers and have to find some answers.
We may find that Jesus’ prayers were very special.
It is mainly because; the Prayers of Jesus are emerging from his life situations.
This should inspire our prayer lives.
Our Prayers should have real connections to our lives.
Or we must relate between our prayers and our lives. That will surely make the Prayer an experience.
I wish and pray such a good prayer life for all of us.
God bless us all. Amen.
--Fr Thomas Kalathil
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