29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we hear: "Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart." (Lk 18: 1) This text recognises that prayer needs to be an ongoing and integrated aspect of our everyday life. Not only that, we are also made aware, as if we need any reminding, that we can become disheartened and inclined to give up on our prayers. How can this temptation be avoided? True, Jesus recommends that we should pray alone in private (Mtt 6: 6) nevertheless it remains that since we are encouraged to pray "Our Father" (Mtt 6: 9), rather than "My Father," we are also linked with others who pray to the Father even when we are alone. Jesus also tells us: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Mtt 18: 20) We are always helped, therefore, when we pray with others. This may be as part of a prayer group, prayer chain, attending Mass or simply by informing someone that I am praying for them. Sometimes I am at Mass primarily for myself and my own spiritual/emotional needs while on other occasions I pray for others and their needs. Furthermore, if we accept God as the best of fathers, who knows what we want before we ask it of him, then we will more readily trust in him (Mtt 7: 7-11). This helps us to recognise the graces we have received: "You received without payment; give without payment." (Mtt 10: 8) and that all we need is a small amount of faith and nothing will be impossible for us (Mtt 17: 20). We should, finally, accept that we are not required to be experts in theology or spirituality to persist in prayer rather it suffices to have a relationship of intimate trust and gratitude with the Father who truly loves us: "At that time Jesus said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you  have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him'. " (Mtt 11: 25-27)