17th ordinary Year C

“Lions may lack and go hungry but those who seek the Lord, Lack nothing” (Ps 34:10)

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Power of Christian

            A patient gets power from injection or tablets, a looser gets power from hope of winning, a farmer obtains hope by seeing rains at the proper time and a hunger gets strength from food. Then what about Christian?  Christian gets his strength and draws power from Christ only through prayer. Then you may ask question what is prayer? How can it become power to Christian? Prayer is not monologue but it is a dialogue between Supreme Being (God) and Man. We read in the psalms “the power belongs to God” (62:11) and God wants to transmit this power to human beings by having dialogue with Him i.e. who ever asks will receive it.( Mt 7:7). Prayer is a mighty weapon. As weapon kills many enemies so Prayer also kills the mighty enemy Satan. Prayer is a key to God’s grace. As key opens lock so prayer opens the heart of man to God.

           In today’s Gospel, we heard that the disciples, after seeing Jesus at prayer, asked him to teach them to pray. By seeing their enthusiasm, Jesus not only gave them the “our father” as the pattern, He also taught them the spirit required behind every prayer. What’s that spirit? Through the parable of the “persistent friend” Jesus outlined the spirit of prayer.That spirit consists of at least 2 things:

1.    Pray Persistently: We must pray always and not to lose heart. Jesus through the parable encourages constancy in prayer. Constancy not only manifests our deep faith but also increase our faith to a higher level. Somehow, god does not give us at the first but It is not to be taken as disappointment but rather as training by God in spiritual matters. As in the parable, persistent friend had benefited so we also surely benefit from God.
2.  Pray with filial confidence: God is our Father. When we pray to God by calling ‘our father’, the relationship between God and us is one of deep intimacy- Father and children. So God is more willing to bestow good gifts to us. Abba father never rejects or refuses to give Holy Spirit, the supreme gift to his children. St. James revealed that as we are not asking so we are not getting (James 4:2) so ask God confidently he is surely listening and answer our prayers.   When apostles asked they received Holy Spirit. Today if you and I ask for same spirit our heavenly father ready to anoint us with his spirit.

       Prayer not only affects individual but it also affects community. In today’s first reading Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. God listened his petition and saved Loth’s family. Today if you intercedes for whole world, then God is ready to save at least one so why can’t use this power? Why can’t you try it?  Prayer transforms the desire and moulds it according to God’s will, whatever it is so it is power to Christian to witness the Lord.

         Through the readings of the day as a Christian we must learn ‘How to Pray’ Prayer consists of praise, forgiveness, petitions and intercession. So let us cultivate the habit of prayer and through prayer let us be close to almighty God as His children.