The Gospel today is about image and about prayer. We are more familiar with “The Lord’s Prayer” according to Matthew’s version. Luke’s presentation is shorter, but the verses which follow deal with an interpretation of just what the prayer means.
Jesus when asked to teach his disciples to pray does not give instructions about how to stand, hold hands, lower eyes or prostrate. He does not even give lists of words or ideas. Jesus tells them to bless God’s name according to the ancient Jewish forms. Then acknowledge that this most holy God is indeed bringing about holiness on the earth. In humble recognition admit then, that one needs holy-help to bring about that holiness within each individual every day.
Then Jesus, according to Luke, invites those who are relating to God through prayer to admit that they have not lived faithfully. Their responses to being invited into the kingdom and so need to be forgiven. They will know what forgiveness is, because they forgive others as members of the kingdom. Then they will end by asking to be cared for by God when tempted to leave the kingdom for another.
Luke concludes this presentation by Jesus’ telling some pertinent particular situations. Then the famous and perhaps misleading statements that when we ask it will be given, when we knock it will be opened. This is not true literally, sorry to say. Luke presents Jesus as saying something very true and more important. For all the asking humans’ do of God, what God desires to give is the Holy Spirit which in times of great need for us can seem second best. The Holy Spirit is given generously to us so that we might be aware and accepting of all the other gifts which lead us to living the kingdom together.
We can pray as if God does not hear well. Our image of God can rise or fall according to what we receive. God is good on good days, but his stock falls on less good days. We can knock ourselves out by knocking on God’s treasure house of blessings and fail to be knocked over by what has already been given. Prayer can seem to be something we do to or with an arbitrary and sluggish deity. God prays over us and our prayer then is more than words. Our prayer is being aware of God’s daily bread of conversation with, around, about, within and directly to us.
On behalf of others and their needs, and even just sometimes, those of myself, I seem to pray for the gifts of being aware of just how dependent we are and I am. God will be God. God’s grace invites me to be more me. I have needs and I ask God to take them away, leaving me with the peaceful illusion that I am self-contained and quite independent, thank you. I do pray for things to happen my way, because I am selfish. I pray for the needs of others, because I care. Ultimately praying, (asking) ends for me in a smile, not of resignation, but a more lively sense of my human gratitude.
Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ
I entered the Society of Jesus in 1960, after graduating from Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attending St. Norbert College for two years. I was ordained in 1972 after completing theological studies at the Toronto School of Theology, Regis College. I presently minister in the Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Creighton and give retreats.
I enjoy sharing thoughts on the Daily Reflections. It is a chance to share with a wide variety of people in the Christian community experiences of prayer and life which have been given to me. It is a bit like being in more places than just here. We actually get out there without having to pay airlines to do it. The word of God is alive and well.
