The Bishop’s Sunday Mass Homily on 29 September 2024
As the natural world around us transitions through its seasons, we find ourselves, too, entering into a new spiritual season within the Church—the season of prayer. This shift is not simply one of routine or tradition but a deeper call from God to engage with Him on an intimate level. Prayer is, in fact, the lifeblood of the Christian experience, shaping us from within. However, it is often neglected or misunderstood, especially in our modern context.
C.S. Lewis, in his wisdom, once said that if we sense something stirring in our hearts—an unspoken longing, a nudge toward the divine—it is not merely ourselves. It is God. God’s Spirit calls us to Himself in ways that go beyond our intellectual understanding, but how often do we ignore this call? More frequently, we treat prayer as a last resort, only seeking God’s presence when we are desperate or when a problem arises. In the absence of urgency, prayer falls by the wayside, as though we no longer need to converse with God when all seems well.
But this is far from the vision of prayer that Jesus presents in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6. In this passage, we are invited to a life of constant communion with God—through giving, fasting, and most centrally, through prayer. These practices are not meant to be episodic, responding only to moments of crisis; rather, they are to be the very rhythm of our lives. Christianity, as shown by Christ Himself, is not a series of rituals to be checked off, but a lifestyle of intimate relationship with the Father.
Unfortunately, in the modern world, prayer is often seen as a sign of weakness. We are conditioned to believe that self-sufficiency is the mark of strength, and reliance on a higher power suggests we are incapable. This couldn’t be further from the truth. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He didn’t invite them to a display of weakness, but to a posture of trust and dependence on a loving Father. “Pray like this,” He said, and then gave us the words of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). In that prayer, He offers us the perfect framework to engage with God—not as an impersonal force but as Our Father.
The modern mind may pride itself on its self-reliance, but a life devoid of prayer quickly becomes a life devoid of faith. When someone begins to lose their connection to God, it often starts with their prayer life. When we cease to pray, we are no longer nurturing the relationship that sustains our faith. And so, we must ask ourselves: why do we allow our prayer life to be stolen from us?
Jesus, in Matthew 6, instructs us to pray not for show but in the quiet of our hearts. He says, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6). This is a call to intimacy, not to performative religion. We do not pray to be seen or to manipulate God with repetition; we pray because it is the language of love between us and God. And Jesus promises that when we pray with the right motives, God will reward us—not necessarily with material blessings, but with His presence, His peace, and His guidance.
Prayer is not merely a recitation of words; it involves contemplation. It is a moment of stillness, where we stop the noise of the world and allow God’s voice to speak to our hearts. Jesus extends this divine invitation in Matthew 11:28, saying, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” True prayer brings rest to the soul because it lifts the burdens we carry and places them in the hands of our Heavenly Father.
But in our prayer, we must also consider our motives. Do we pray to glorify God or to gain something for ourselves? In the Lord’s Prayer, each phrase holds deep meaning and intention. We begin with, “Our Father who art in heaven”—a reminder that we are not speaking to a distant God, but to a Father who loves us deeply. “Hallowed be Thy name” means that we acknowledge His holiness and seek to honor Him in all we do. “Thy kingdom come” is a petition for God’s reign of justice, peace, and love to be fully realized in the world, starting in our hearts. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” calls us to surrender our desires to His perfect will, trusting that His plans are far greater than our own.
In praying these words, we align ourselves with God’s purpose, acknowledging that what we see in the world—chaos, injustice, and suffering—does not reflect His perfect will. As St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:9, we are “God’s co-workers.” We participate in His mission, building His kingdom on earth, yet we must never forget that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. His will is to redeem, restore, and heal, and through prayer, we become partners in His divine plan.
As we enter this season of prayer, let us reclaim the gift that has been given to us—a gift not to be used only in times of crisis but to be lived out daily. Let us pray with humility, seeking God’s presence not just for what He can give us, but for who He is. Let us cultivate a prayer life that shapes our faith and sustains our relationship with God. And let us remember, as Jesus taught us, that true prayer is always answered—not necessarily in the way we expect, but in the way that brings us closer to Him.
Lesson Drawn from the Bishop’s Homily:
The homily emphasizes the importance of prayer as a central element of Christian life, much like the changing seasons invite renewal. Prayer is not merely a response to crises or needs but a continuous relationship with God, cultivated daily. Jesus, through His teachings in Matthew 6, shows us that prayer should be an act of love and trust, not of showmanship or repetition. We are reminded that Christianity is a lifestyle that encompasses prayer, fasting, and giving, guiding us to live in constant communion with God.
Furthermore, prayer is portrayed as a divine invitation from Jesus, where we are called to unburden ourselves and seek rest in Him. It requires contemplation, sincerity, and a focus on aligning our desires with God’s will rather than our own. The Lord’s Prayer is used as a model of how we should approach God—not as beggars or manipulators, but as children of a loving Father. By reflecting on phrases like “Thy kingdom come” and “Thy will be done,” we realize that prayer is about participating in God’s divine plan for justice and peace, both in our lives and the world.
Finally, the homily challenges the misconception that prayer is a sign of weakness. Instead, prayer is an expression of faith and trust in God’s promises. It reminds us that when we lose our prayer life, we lose our connection to God, leading to a gradual loss of faith. Prayer, therefore, must be protected and practiced intentionally, not allowing the distractions of modern life to steal it from us. In praying with the right motives, we align ourselves with God’s will, trusting that He is faithful to fulfill His promises.
Review Questions Relevant to the Lesson:
1. Why is prayer compared to the changing of seasons?
2. What is the common mistake people make regarding prayer?
3. How does Jesus teach us to approach prayer in Matthew 6?
4. What does the phrase “Our Father who art in heaven” signify?
5. Why does the modern world view prayer as weakness?
6. What role does contemplation play in prayer?
7. What does “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” mean in the Lord’s Prayer?
8. Why is prayer called a “divine invitation”?
9. What happens when we lose our prayer life?
10. How does prayer align us with God’s will?