15th SUNDAY of Oridinary Time, year’ B’
“When you pray, do not babble as the gentiles do,for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Jesus sends his twelve disciples off ; they are very ordinary people and so they ask him how to pray. Jesus does indeed ask them to master evil spirits. They feel so weak! There is a spiritual dimension that goes well beyond human capacity, whoever people are. The Twelve ask Jesus the most naïve questions,but Jesus trusts them; he teaches them that in order to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are the people sent by Him and we need to pray like Him in the Holy Spirit, pray to Our Heavenly Father. It is indeed by prayer that we work at the edification of the Church of Christ. The harvest is abundant and the workers are few. Jesus tells us to ’pray the Father’. The Apostle is invited to announce the Good News, does so with empty hands, drawing his strength on God and leaning on Him. God alone converts hearts. Stark spiritual poverty is a conditon for prayer. We need to become ’sons of the Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ’, praying like Him and with Him. The Church participates in Christ’s prayer, participating in his Mission. Espoused by Christ, the Church recieves all her grace through prayer.
“So when you pray, pray like this : Our Father, who art in heaven, may your Kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
According to the trust that Jesus gives to them, these men are capable of turning towards their Father. At Pentecost, thanks to the grace of the gift of the Spirit, they will be filled with the life and strength of the Risen Lord. But today they have Jesus’ words and He teaches them his own prayer. They will trust Him and that will already be enough for them to do marvellous works. We know that trust can be betrayed and times can be more difficult. Questions will be asked concerning
Jesus in whom they have put their faith. Having entered into the new ’filiation’ of the ’children’ of God, moved by the Holy Spirit,we too have become children of God, tenderly loved. We adress ourselves to Him for God’s reign of love to grow. Whatever may happen to us, we want to do his Will also,the Will of the One who is Light, and we want to enter into Jesus’ Mission. Blessed are you, Lord God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In heaven, he has filled us with his Blessings…’ so that we may become holy, irreprochable in his eyes.“It is because of the fact that we are the Father’s children that in the Holy Spirit we bring joy to those around us.”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 tempation but deliver us from evil."
Jesus manifests to us an infinite confidence, trusting each one of us. He manifests towards us this same trust that He did towards his disciples. As well as this, as he did to his Apostles, he has given us his Holy Spirit for us to learn from Him. So we are perfectly equppied to chase away demons, heal those who are commended to us, announce the Gospel of Salvation at all time and in all places ; let us show ourselves to be worthy of the confidenc that is given to us, and let us spread it out to those around us. By our baptism we are part of God’s people; a People of priests, of prophets and of kings. God, who gives bread to his children, shows to them the path of life. He touches our hearts by his forgiveness. Moved by the Holy Spirit,welcoming the gift of God,we too can forgive in our turn. We are God’s temple, and He reigns in our lives through his Love. Evil is rejected, we can bear witness to what belongs to God alone, to Infinite Love.