This Sunday's Gospel speaks to us about the priority of personal prayer. In last week's Gospel, Jesus had sent the apostles out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom. Now they return, eager to recount their progress and the graces they encountered.
As Jesus listens to them, He invites them (perhaps because they are so joyful) to withdraw and rest for a while, for they have worked hard. In doing so, Jesus also teaches us about prayer. Let us examine four teachings on prayer that are evident in today's Gospel.
I. The Practice of Prayerful Praise
At the beginning of the text, the apostles are with Jesus, joyfully recounting all they experienced on their missionary journey. In a similar text from Luke (10:17), the apostles return rejoicing, saying that even the demons are subject to them (in Jesus' name). Thus, their first instinct is one of joyful gratitude before the Lord.
Is your prayer filled with praise and thanksgiving? Are you grateful to God for all He has done? Do you tell God what is happening in your life and thank Him for all He has enabled you to do?
Too many people think of prayer only in terms of petition, but praise is also an essential component. When Jesus began His teaching on prayer, He said: "When you pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" (Matt 6:9). In other words, "Father, your name is holy. You are a great God, a wonderful God. You can do all things and I praise you! Thank you, Father; your name is holy, and you are holy."
Praise the Lord. Thank Him for what He does and tell Him all that you are experiencing. Scripture says we were made for the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:16). So, praise the Lord in your prayer. How? Take a psalm of praise. Pray or sing the Gloria from Mass. Sing or recite a hymn. However you do it, praise Him!
II. The Peace of Personal Prayer
Jesus invites the apostles to withdraw by themselves to a quiet place and rest for a while. Most people do not consider their personal prayer as a privileged invitation from the Lord, nor as a time of rest.
However, consider that the Lord invites us to withdraw and spend personal, private time with Him. Most people would appreciate the personal attention of a famous person. Why not from the Lord? An old hymn says: "What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer."
Note the description of this time as "rest." Most people consider prayer more as a task than a time of rest. Yet, to pray is to rest, to withdraw from this world for a short time and enjoy the Lord's presence. Scripture says: "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength'" (Is 30:15).
An old hymn says:
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Learn to consider prayer as a time of tranquility, a rest with the Lord, when He soothes, strengthens, refreshes, and blesses us.
III. The Primacy of Priority Prayer
The text says that people were coming in great numbers seeking the attention of the Lord and the apostles; they could not even find a moment to eat!
There is no doubt the people had critical needs. They needed to be taught, healed, fed, and cared for in many ways. Yet, despite this, Jesus said, in effect, "We must get away from all this for a while." He directed the apostles to a deserted place.
Indeed, one of the few places they could "escape" to was on the water. There, the crowd could not follow them, and they could be alone and quiet for a short time.
Jesus made prayer a priority. Scripture says of Him:
"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16).
Scripture also speaks of Him rising early to pray (Mark 1:35), praying late at night (Matt 14:23), praying all night (Luke 6:12), and praying in the mountains (Matt 14:23) and other deserted places.
Understanding prayer as rest helps us see why prayer must be a priority in our lives. If we are to engage in the work God has called us to, we must be replenished and refreshed daily by spending time with Him.
If we were to engage in physical labor without ever stopping to rest, we would collapse. The spiritual life has a similar law. Resting with God in prayer fills us with His presence, His grace, and His strength so that we may be equipped, empowered, and able to fulfill the tasks He has given us.
No one can give or share what they do not have, so if we do not pray and experience God's presence, how can we share it? To share grace, we must first receive it. To speak the Word, we must first receive it. To witness to the Lord, we must first know Him.
Jesus often had to hide away to pray. Sometimes the only quiet place He could find was on the lake, but He took time to pray. He invites the apostles and us to do the same, not just despite life's busyness, but because of it.
A Brief Story
A priest friend of mine once told me that in the 1970s, he was giving spiritual direction to a religious sister. At that time, it was common for people to say, "My work is my prayer." When this priest inquired about the good sister's prayer life, she replied:
"Oh, I'm too busy to pray, but that's okay because my work is my prayer; that's my spirituality."
He responded:
"Sister, if you don't pray, you have no spirituality."
He led her to begin praying an hour a day. A few years later, he ran into her at the airport. By then, she had become a major superior in her order.
"How are you, Mother?" he asked her. "Oh," she replied, "I am very busy!" He winced, but she added:
"I am so busy these days that I have to pray two hours a day!"
Now there is a wise woman! When we are foolish, we say, "I'm too busy to pray." When we are wise, we say, "I'm so busy that I must pray more."
Also read | The Passion of Jesus Christ Excites and Inflames the Heart of Man
Jesus made prayer a priority. Prayer is the rest that strengthens us for the task; it is the refreshment that gives us new vigor and enthusiasm.
IV. The Power of Pious Prayer
The text says that after Jesus spent this time alone with the apostles on the boat, they reached the other shore. Of course, the crowd was there, waiting for them, but Jesus and the apostles had been refreshed and were now well-rested. Jesus, renewed and refreshed, saw the vast crowd and began to teach them at length.
Prayer has this effect. By drawing us closer to God, who is love, we are better equipped to love others. Jesus, though He never lacked love for them, shows us this renewal. The text says that upon seeing the crowd, His heart was moved with compassion for them. The Greek word translated as "compassion" is σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai), which means "to be moved with compassion." The word "compassion" often carries a condescending connotation, but what is happening here is that Jesus sees them, loves them, and has compassion on their state. The religious leaders in Jerusalem had largely abandoned them, considering them "the great unwashed masses," but Jesus loves them and teaches them at length.
It often takes many years and much prayer to equip our hearts in this way. One of the signs that grace and prayer are having their effect is that our love for others, even for the multitudes, becomes deeper, more compassionate, more patient, and more merciful. This requires great prayer and long hours spent at the feet of the Lord learning from Him.
This is the power prayer confers: we are better equipped for our mission, more zealous, and more loving. The rest that prayer provides rejuvenates our better nature and helps it to grow.
So here are four teachings on prayer. Jesus found time to pray; He made it a priority. And you?
This homily was originally published in English by Monsignor Charles Pope – ADW – Article link.