Jesus' Union with the Father in Prayer

Homily for Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is strong on our sharing now in the resurrection of Christ in baptism. Resurrection is not just a future but is a present reality; it has already begun in us. Recalling this often is a great way of preserving a sense of our dignity as Christians. This should spur us on to live accordingly. This does not, of course, mean that all risk is gone from Christian life or that we cannot sin or fail or make serious mistakes. However, if we persevere in the faith and repent of our sins, asking forgiveness of our all-merciful God, we have been promised that our present reality as people who share in the resurrection will continue in the future.

As we draw ever closer to the end of our liturgical year, the Lectionary for Daily Mass presents us with the Gospel of St. Luke for our consideration and motivation for prayer. One of the features of St. Luke’s Gospel is the fact that Jesus retires for quiet moments of prayer before every important episode of his life. That is evident in today’s Gospel reading as we are told that before choosing the Twelve Apostles, Jesus spent the night in prayer. Communion with his Father is necessary before every momentous decision that he makes. This tells us a great deal about his human nature. That the Son of God needs to spend the night in prayer should make us remember its importance. If Jesus is so close to God, one with God, why this need? That Jesus needed to pray and that one of these men whom he chose should turn out so badly points out that Jesus did not cease to be a human being. Christian life for us, too, although we have already risen with Christ by baptism, also carries with it the need to pray and strengthen our union with God. Further, it does not remove us from the possibility of failure or sin. Our faith and union with Christ do not provide a security for us, to think, and to be careful and vigilant. Strengthening our union with Christ at this altar means that we have the power and the endurance to deal with and eventually come through the bondage and pains of daily life.

We approach the altar with gratitude today for the gift of our baptism, and we also remember the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Jesus has given us an example of how baptized persons continue to strengthen their relationship with God through prayer.