Discussions on prayer tend to be focused on our side of the conversation: "What should I say to God? Does God hear my prayers? What techniques can help me in prayer?" While those questions are important, they tend to overlook the fact that prayer is a two way street. We speak to God, but God also listens and speaks to us. What God says to us in prayer and in the scriptures can often be difficult for us to accept. The readings for this Sunday provide us with a balanced view of prayer, as well as a challenge for people of every age.
The first reading from Sirach reflects the response of the wisdom tradition of Israel to the question of whose prayers God hears. The prevailing view of the day held that riches were a blessing and poverty was a curse; sickness and misfortune were punishments, while health and comfort were gifts of God. Sirach reminds the audience that God holds no favorites and that he hears the cry of the oppressed, the weak, and the lowly. What is more, the justice of God will rescue the marginalized, for God judges justly and affirms the right. The Psalmist too echoes these sentiments of Sirach: God is close to the brokenhearted and he will confront evildoers at the appointed time for God's justice to emerge.
Jesus, however, seems to present a different message in relating the story of the Pharisee and Publican in the Gospel text. The tax collector was wealthy because he oppressed others with his dishonest ways and unjust practices, while the Pharisee was righteous before God, obeying the smallest detail of the law. However, what we say to God - what comes from our deepest self - is what is important in the eyes of God. The Pharisee was righteous in external matters, but his heart was not pure and his prayer was really addressed to himself, not God. The tax collector, by contrast, is not righteous in his external actions, but he demonstrates profound contrition and humility in his prayer because it came from the very depths of his being. Such prayers bring profound conversion and renewal. The outcast is the hero of the story, while the perceived good guy comes away not looking so good - just as we saw in the first reading!
Paul seems to present us with yet another obstacle to prayer, for the second reading appears to be the prayer of the Pharisee in the Gospel text. Paul is boasting of is actions and of his salvation to come. However, Paul knows the difference between praying like a Pharisee and praying like a repentant sinner, for he has uttered both kinds of prayers in his life. He came to see that external observance of the law cannot save; only faith in Christ that animates the heart and propels a person to live as Christ lived can achieve such redemption. It is this faith that Paul boasts of, not his own works.
Pope John Paul II offered us a glimpse of his own prayer life as he began his papacy more than thirty years ago. His words are reminiscent of Paul's words while at the same time reflecting the prayer and ministry of the Lord Jesus: "For me prayer is the first priority. Prayer is a basic prerequisite to service of the Church and the world....Every believer should always think of prayer as an essential and indispensable component of one's vocation. It is the 'opus divinum' which precedes and overshadows every work. We well know that faithfulness to prayer, nor its neglect, is a test of the vitality of religious life, apostolate, and Christian fidelity." (John Paul II, Address, October 7, 1979)
Let us, then, be attentive to the prayers we utter so that they may come from the very depth of our being and reflect our true position in the universe as utterly dependent on the love of God. Let us also listen to God as he tells us that he hears the prayers of the lowly, the poor, and the oppressed. May we hear the cry of the poor and through our prayer serve them as the Lord Jesus did: "Let us pray in humble hope for salvation. Praised be you, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no power for good which does not come from your covenant, and no promise to hope in, that your love has not offered. Strengthen our faith to accept your covenant and give us the love to carry out your command. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen." (Opening Prayer)
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