Reading 1 Is 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:4b
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel Mt 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Today’s first reading tells us that God is not a careless talker and His words are not impotent. He says what He means and means what He says and His words create the effects He intends.
When we also approach God in prayer, Jesus told us in today’s gospel not to talk carelessly, purposelessly or mindlessly.
We must take note of these two points when we want to pray
- Prayer is a serious communication between God and man.
We must keep this in mind that prayer is a sacred dialogue. I remember asking a youth to pray in a youth gathering and he turned it to a comedy, amusing himself and others. When we pray we must show the highest reverence, avoid all forms of distractions, avoid all elements of unseriousness or disrespect. It must engage the whole being (heart, mind, body and Spirit) and must be sincere.
- When we pray we must keep in mind that we are talking to a Father.
We are not talking to an unknown idea or a likely force, not a disinterested supreme being but a loving Father who cares, who knows our needs and who is willing to help.
Sometimes we pray as if we are talking to a being who doesn’t always want to give to those who ask him, we pray as if we are informing God what He doesn’t know or manipulating Him to give what He doesn’t intend.
Our prayer is an expression of our recognition of our needs, our confession that we need God to help us in those areas of need, our prayer is meant to help us submit to God’s will which is the best for us and not to instruct or manipulate God to act as we desire or pre- expect.
If only we understand all these, our prayers will become simpler, more divine, genuine, consoling and above all, more efficacious.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on March 12, 2019