The Gospel today makes me think about how we respond to God in faith, especially when prayers are answered. It is first of all necessary to be conscious of praying for particular and identifiable situations. Every time I go to Mass I need to articulate, at least in my own mind, a specific intention to bring before the Lord. It is only in the light of subsequent events that I can then be aware that a prayer has been answered! Sometimes my prayer is answered in ways I had not imagined or I realise that I have prayed for something which was self-indulgent or selfish. Then the words of Saint James may occur to me: "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures." (Jm 4: 2-3) The fruit of an answered prayer is gratitude, joy and wonder. It is not to be found in an attitude of entitlement. It does not make me feel superior to others or incline me to compare myself favorably to them. How can I avoid such attitudes? James words, again, are of help: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (Jm 4: 7-10)
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