Homily – 17th Sunday Ordinary Time (C)

Lord, teach us how to pray

When I entered the seminary some years ago, I was introduced to a different kind of prayer life.  Throughout the day we mark our prayer time according to the common prayerbook, the Divine Office.  I found myself entering a new phase praying more than I ever did – it took a bit of time to get used to.  At times I even ask myself what can we possibly say to God that many times a day?

Doing things in common is part of community life – set prayer time works.  For many this is not the case as lives are as varied as the individual.  The challenge for all of us is to find consistency or a pattern of prayer.  I have come to appreciate prayer more especially when things gets hectic and busy.  Prayer is a teacher for me as it continues to enlighten.  I have come to appreciate its various aspects.

1. A faith community is a house of prayer.  We needn’t pray alone.  Prayer is a communal act as it is a personal one.  We raise our voices together in prayer because we are called to do so, we begin “Our Father…”.
2. For pray-ers, they inherit a treasury of prayers in their many forms, psalms, poems and hymns.  What we are going through might be perfectly expressed in these pieces.  Then there are prayers we pray from the heart – we write our own.
3. Other priorities in life make us want to rush through prayer or neglect it altogether.  For me, prayer is a time of preparation.  When I rush myself into the day without proper prayer time, I feel somewhat unprepared.  When we feel everything is going against us or nothing is going right, prayer can help in these moments that we are dispirited.  Prayer has so much to offer why would we go without it?

This Sunday’s Gospel asks the question, how to pray?  Jesus tells us how to.  By asking it already implies an openness and a willingness.  A desire to pray is already a good start.  When we are about to pray the most significant recognition has already been made – God’s presence.  His presence always lead us to something more.

By Fr Hoang Dinh