This is not my full homily but only an outline. You'll have to listen to the audio from the parish website (here)
I mentioned last week about Our Lady of Chestochowa having the walls covered with "ex voto" offerings of thanksgiving for prayers answered, miracles obtained. This is still a good image for today, with the focus still clearly on prayer.
Today's readings stress that prayer works. God hears. "But when the Son of Man comes, do you think He will find faith on earth?"
Pope Francis said this about forgiveness, but the same can be said about us and our lack of resolve in prayer: "God doesn't get tired... we get tired."
I've prayed for years for members of my family to grow in faith. Why does it take so long? I have not prayed consistently. I stray. I lose hope or I lose focus.
Sometimes we pray for the wrong thing, and we might not even understand why it is wrong. Nevertheless, God isn't ever going to answer those prayers, at least not with the "yes, here you go" that we are hoping for. If a five year old son asks you to let him drive the car, your answer is no, too, and not because you don't love him, but precisely because you do love him.
Other times God answers our prayers in ways that we never would have wanted, but actually are better for us. You ever heard the saying "be careful what you pray for, you just might get it!"? God knows what we need even when we don't want it. Like a kid saying "I'm hungry" (while eyeing the cookies) and their parent giving them a carrot. Why? The parent knows better what the child needs.
Sometimes God's answer is "okay but not yet."
No comments:
Post a Comment