Gospel: Luke 11: 1-13
Jesus tells us that whatever we ask for God will give us. So, if I ask, will he let me win the lottery? Will the Bills win the Super Bowl if I pray for such? How about peace in the world - lots of people pray for that? God is not a cosmic gum ball machine wherein we insert the coin of our prayer and we get an automatic outcome that satisfies our request. The context of the passage and its connection to the first reading provide us with the proper content of our prayer.
In the prayer Jesus gives us we ask to receive God's will, and we pray for mercy for ourselves. We find this to be the very posture Abraham takes with God in this back and forth exchange regarding the fate of Sodom. Abraham continually pleads for God's mercy, and each time God grants that mercy. The content of our prayer must also be about mercy - mercy for ourselves and for others. The entire life and ministry of Jesus was about mercy, and so too must our lives be.
In praying for mercy we too must be merciful. The extent to which mercy is granted to us and others is proportional to the mercy we extend to others. If our mercy to others is meager, so too will the mercy be given us. If, however, our mercy is wide and generous, then the mercy provided us will be likewise. As we pray for mercy our hearts grow ever more merciful toward others. That is the greatest prayer, and the greatest outcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment