VATICAN - PRAYER (I): «Lord teach us to pray »… «When you pray say: PATER NOSTER» (Lk 11, 1.2)

Monday, 30 October 2006

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of World Mission Sunday, Fides published a Dossier on the three prayers which form the devotional practice of the Rosary, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory be…. That dossier is the first part of a more complete work which will offer the Catholics of the world a collection of traditional prayers used for centuries by Christians in all different languages as a means of growing in friendship with God. In prayer we have a foretaste of knowing God, Three in One, whom we will one day see face to face, if we have responded to his Love giving Him first place in our life. Through prayer we also help to save the world; this mission is entrusted by God to all baptised Christians who are called «to love God with heart and soul and strength” and neighbour as oneself .
The Gospels tell us that Jesus often prayed in silence, in solitude, at night. Jesus sets the example for prayer: « In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there» (Mk 1, 35). This he did especially at important times: after the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand: «he went up the mountain to pray alone » (Mt 14, 23); before important occasions: the calling of his Twelve Apostles: «He went up the mountain to pray and spent the night in prayer» “erat pernoctans in oratione Dei” (Lk 6, 12), in the Garden of Olives (Mt 26, 36-44), on the Cross. This reveals Jesus’ filial relationship with God the Father: «I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and earth …» (Mt 11, 25), which culminates in what is referred to as Christ’s Priestly Prayer at the Last Supper: « Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you…» (Jn 17, 1-26).
Seeing Jesus pray his disciples ask him to teach them to pray as John the Baptist did with his followers: « Now it happened that he was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: Our Father…» (Lk 11,1-2). Our Father…
Prayer is not an option it is an indispensable necessity: «Keep awake and pray always (Lk 21, 35); «Keep awake and pray always so as not to fall into temptation» Jesus says to the three apostles who fell asleep in the Garden of Olives (Mt 26, 41); and he explains the reason: «the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak» (ibid.). In another part of the Gospel he explains the reason for the necessity of prayer» («Sine me nihil potestis facere») (Jn15, 5).
New Evangelisation called by the beloved and venerable Pope John Paul II, necessarily calls for a return to prayer, «conversation with God». Prayer is speaking to God and speaking to God is prayer. It means therefore first of all rediscovering God and God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ, God who is Three in One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today in the world, in Europe in particular, the appears to be a loss of the sense of God, prayer, participation in Sunday Mass, the reception of the Sacraments, of prayer. «Do you pray> I once asked two boys aged 17 and 20 of a Christian family … «never!». «do you think about God?» was my second question… «never!»… How many live the same situation in total indifference with regard to God?
And those who do come to Mass, how many really pray, how many participate actively? They come to receive Communion… but have they been to confession recently? And then will they wait for another week before going to Mass … if they are regular Mass goers? … 45 minutes, at the most, in the week given to God … This is a fact: in Europe churches are ever more empty and people are drawn by the “sirens” of the century… in many countries there are less confessions… people have lost the sense of sin … some priests have stopped hearing confession …
And the priests who celebrate Mass are they sufficiently aware that they are “addressing God” not just “reciting” words? « We come to you, Father, with praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ your Son…» (Roman Canon). Do the faithful realise what is happening? The priest is speaking to God in person, on their behalf… in order to render present the one and only Redeeming Sacrifice.
New Evangelisation means new conversion. We must find new faith in the Church even if it means going against the current. We must sail upstream in an ever more secularised world where God is excluded from society, from civil life, if we are to restore peace to this world loved by God, peace which only Christ gives: « I leave you peace, my peace I give you ». This will not happen unless we rediscover the sense of God and our relationship with God through prayer and keeping the commandments, first and foremost Jesus’ new commandment of Love. (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/10/2006; righe 69 parole 885)


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