Jesus At Prayer

Homily for Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Tiime

Once again, the Gospel of St. Luke records that Jesus turned to prayer; this time after welcoming the seventy-two disciples as they returned from their journeys. There are three things that we can draw from the prayer that Jesus utters.

First, Jesus gives credit to the Father as the source of all that he has and, by extension, all that the disciples have. When we are able to respond to the needs around us, that ability is a gift of the Father who gives us the eyes to see and the strength to act in the name of Jesus.

Second, Jesus acknowledges that these deeds were possible only through the Father’s will. We, too, are sent into the world. St. Luke depicts Jesus turning to prayer frequently in this Gospel. In this passage, St. Luke reveals that through prayer, Jesus discerns the will of the Father. The same can be true for us when we recognize a need in our own community. We need to spend time in prayer seeking the Father’s will.

Third and finally, through his prayer Jesus declares the unity between the Father and the Son. When we discover that we do not know what to do or that our actions do not turn out as we hoped they would, we pray that Jesus will grant us the eyes to see and the ears to hear of the father’s will.

As we prepare to approach Jesus in the Eucharist, let us offer ourselves to him and seek his help to know, and to do, the Father’s will in our lives.