Two weeks ago I wrote about the best kind of prayer (praise and thanksgiving rather than petition); and last week I wrote about the necessity for persistence in prayer. This weekend, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear a Gospel story about humility in prayer.
Our Psalm refrain today is: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” I think it does mean that the poor and those in trouble will be heard by God. I also think that this refrain has layers of meaning: that it also means that the poor in spirit—the humble—will be heard by God.
In honestly opening ourselves to God in prayer, we have to first admit what the truth of our behavior is; we have to face our sin and selfishness, our failures and frailty, our humanity. In the Gospel parable the tax collector prays: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” He starts with the admittance of what he is. The Old Testament reading from the Wisdom Book of Sirach tells us: “The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites…The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds…and the Lord will not delay.”
Like Saint Paul in his letter to Timothy, we must judge how we run our race and how we have kept the faith. Then we must go on our knees in all humility to pray: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Good advice and food for thought and prayer...
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
Our Psalm refrain today is: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” I think it does mean that the poor and those in trouble will be heard by God. I also think that this refrain has layers of meaning: that it also means that the poor in spirit—the humble—will be heard by God.
In honestly opening ourselves to God in prayer, we have to first admit what the truth of our behavior is; we have to face our sin and selfishness, our failures and frailty, our humanity. In the Gospel parable the tax collector prays: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” He starts with the admittance of what he is. The Old Testament reading from the Wisdom Book of Sirach tells us: “The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites…The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds…and the Lord will not delay.”
Like Saint Paul in his letter to Timothy, we must judge how we run our race and how we have kept the faith. Then we must go on our knees in all humility to pray: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Good advice and food for thought and prayer...
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
RSS Feed
