More on Prayer from Luke

In last week’s gospel Jesus spoke to us about the importance of being persistent in our prayer life. The idea of prayer is understood as surrendering our will to God’s Will. That might be difficult for the modern hearer—we are after all, intelligent people and we know what is “good” for us. Why would I want to surrender my will—to God or to anyone—isn’t that a sign of weakness?

Last week’s gospel readings should have illustrated to us a clear picture of the proper way to pray: Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before He is about to be handed over to death says, “My Father, if it’s possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Luke 22:39-46) So why are we called to surrender our will to God’s Will? In our Catholic understanding of God we believe that He only wants what is good for us—this may be quite a bit different, at times, from what we understand as our “good.” God does not love us in an emotional way—His love isn't a Hallmark card—all warm and fuzzy. Rather, He loves us in such a way that He only wants what is eternally good for us—He wants to lead us through things (events in our lives) that will call out of us the wonderful potential He has placed in our hearts from the moment of our conception. That being said, God wants us to become the potential of His likeness and image—in the way we praise Him for His goodness; in the way we love God by loving others in creation around us, and in doing that which shines a light on His Goodness. This comes about in the ordinariness of life, in the way we live in right relationship with God and with those in our families and community, in the way we choose to offer compassion and hope, in the way we decide to mete out mercy and forgiveness—in the way we lead others toward God.

Sometimes I think we view salvation as a personal or individual matter: If I do what God wants of me then I will be okay. However in the gospel Jesus tells his disciples after His Resurrection, “Go out therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 29:18-20) We are called to use our lives not only for our own righteousness but also to be a conduit for others, leading them to Christ. After all, don’t we want heaven to be filled with our family and friends? The greatest legacy one can leave their children is a deep and abiding faith in God’s love and mercy. That’s something that will last eternally—unlike a summer home or a 401K.

In this weekend’s gospel the key message is “humility.” Last Sunday was about what to pray for: God’s Will; this week we hear how we are to pray, humbly, focused on God. The Pharisee goes into the temple and has “I”s disease: I am righteous; I pay my tithe on all my in-come…aren’t I good, Lord? The tax collector—and remember that tax collectors were the most hated among the Jew-ish society since they themselves were Jews who worked to enrich and empower the Roman authority—goes into the temple and admits his faults and weaknesses, asking for God’s grace in his life. In humility he recognizes his great need for God. Like our saints who were not perfect but rather knew how much they needed God’s grace in their lives, this tax collector lays his weaknesses out there and asks God to make him anew. Talk about surrendering your will to God’s.

Humble prayer will be heard by God. And God will answer us when we pray like this. Our prayer should also ask for the wisdom to see His answer—even when it’s not the one we anticipated or hoped for. That is humility.