Weekly Reflection 10/20/19
REFLECTION
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 19-20, 2019
Today, Jesus reminds us that “we should pray continually and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1). He teaches with his deeds and with his words. St. Luke appears before us as the evangelist of Jesus’ prayers. Quite so! In some of the scenes, where the authors inspired in the Holy Scriptures depict Jesus’ life, only Luke presents him in the act of praying.
During Jesus’ Baptism in the river Jordan, when choosing the Twelve and at the Transfiguration. When a disciple asks him “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1), from his lips comes out the Lord’s Prayer. When He announces his negations to Peter: “I have prayed that your own faith may not fail” (Lk 22:32). At the crucifixion: “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, they know not what they do’” (Lk 23:34). When He dies on the Cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk 23:46). After the description of all evangelists, the same Lord is a model of the petition prayer, especially at the Gethsemane garden.
We all could point out how will we raise our hearts towards God, while in different activities, because it is not the same intellectual work than manual labor; to be in a church than to be in the sports field or at home; to drive in the city or in a turnpike; it is not the same our petition prayer than our gratitude; adoration than pleading forgiveness; early in the morning than late, after a whole day’s work. St. Josemaria Escriva gives us a recipe for the petition prayer: “He who gets more is he who pesters closer… Therefore, draw closer to God: try hard to be a saint.
The Virgin Mary is a model of prayer, also of petition prayer. At Cana of Galilee she was able to advance Jesus’ timing, the time of the miracles, with her petition, full of love for those newlyweds and full of trust in her Son.
Fr. Jaime Garcia