Sunday Gospel Reflection 7/24/22

On this seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Church proposes for our meditation and reflection a gospel passage addressing, arguably, the most fundamental aspect of the spiritual/religious life: prayer. The passage, taken from the eleventh chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, opens to a familiar scene throughout the Gospels: Jesus praying.  After returning, the Lord is approached by His disciples, who entreat Him to “teach [them] to pray as John taught his disciples”.

It is fascinating to note that it is in observing the Lord’s own prayer that the disciples are drawn to make this request. What must Jesus’ own prayer have looked like? Thankfully, the Lord cuts right to the heart of the matter, giving the disciples His own prayer in the words of the “Lord’s prayer”.

The Lord Jesus doesn’t stop there. He then goes on to give some “troubleshooting” advice, as it were, for two of the most prevalent obstacles in the life of prayer : discouragement and cynicism.  

Perhaps the most common question proposed about prayer is, “Why hasn’t God answered my prayer?”. To this, the Lord proposes this parable: "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”.

 Perhaps the most important take away from this passage is not so much what is given/received by the knocking person ( though it is interesting to note that the Lord says “whatever he needs”, rather than “whatever he wants”), but rather the fact that the neighbor was always listening, and continually responding. God’s “nos” and “not yets” are not to be moments of discouragement or embarrassment, but rather an invitation to trust and seek the ultimate good: God Himself who has promised to “be with [us] always”.

The Lord continues, saying, "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?". What the Lord reveals to us in the conclusion of this passage is our tendency towards cynicism, towards a lack of trust in others and in God. Though the brokenness of man’s nature puts a premium on receiving, and so much of modern consumer culture promotes constant receiving, we as a human race are not good at receiving gifts. When we receive from others, and from God, we are often less-than-grateful, skeptical, and cynical. To this, the Lord responds with a simple, though often difficult, solution: trust. We have to trust Him.

So then, many may be asking “How do I start praying?”, or “How do I get better at prayer”. To these, I will respond with the same words as the late Thomas Merton, who responded to the same questions: If you want to start praying, or continue to progress in your prayer life, all you have to do is “Take the time to do it”. Show up for prayer, persevere, and trust. God is faithful—always.

So then, let us love each other as He has loved us—to the end. God bless.