Luke speaks about prayer more than any of the other Evangelists…and in this weekend’s gospel we hear the disciples, asking Jesus to teach them how to pray and he responds with a simple version of the Lord’s Prayer. With prayer being so foundation to who we are, how do you pray? But the bigger question may have to do with how we view prayer. In other words, do we come to prayer as a transactional or a relational activity? Do we spend our time in prayer looking for something from God…or are we desiring a connection with God? Leave it to my grandson Oliver to open my eyes to what prayer is really all about. Check it out and see what I mean…

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24 July 2022 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Princeton, NJ
This Sunday our gospel from Luke invites us to open our eyes to prayer. It is interesting to note
that Luke speaks about prayer more than any of the other Evangelists. For he shows Jesus
praying at important parts of his ministry, including: his baptism, at the selection of his apostles,
at the Transfiguration, at the Last Supper, at the Mount of Olives and on the cross. And in this
weekend’s gospel we hear the disciples, who so often saw and heard Jesus praying to his
Father and likely looking to model him - asking Jesus to teach them how to pray.
In reply, Jesus gives them the words that we now refer to as The Lord’s Prayer. This version is
briefer and simpler than the one Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded by
Matthew. But Luke’s version seems to be focused on the down to earth concerns of his
followers – of securing bread for the day, fostering a community founded on shared forgiveness,
and addressing God in a way a child would reach out to a parent for a need or a desire and
trusting that God will provide.
So now, 2000 years later, the question is - how do we pray? For prayer is so central and
foundational to who we are as individuals and as a community – with each person praying in a
way that is meaningful to them. Personally, I pray as I walk my 6 - 8 miles every day. I try to
spend more time listening that speaking as I walk along the canal path or the beach. I enjoy
passing by others, looking to make eye contact with a smile – as it generally seems to change
them, and it certainly changes me – all of which is all prayer.
No doubt, when family and friends gather at a wake service and share stories of their loved one
who has died – all of that is a form of prayer. Many pray by journaling, art or through music.
Indeed, many of the faithful enjoy more formal prayers in the form of a rosary or a novena, and
still others gravitate to silent contemplative or centering prayer…and of course, many of us may
just mix it up based on where we are in our lives. But there is no wrong way to pray…and at the
same time, I think it may be fair to say that none of us necessarily know how to pray as St. Paul
reminds us in his letter to the Romans, “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” Which kind
of takes the pressure off of any of us who wonder if we are praying the right way, as if that was
even a thing – which is not.
But the bigger question may have to do with how we view prayer. In other words, do we come
to prayer as a transactional or a relational activity? For Paul tells us that we should make our
needs known…we just heard Luke proclaim, “ask and you shall receive…” while Matthew
reminds us that, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their
prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for
your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
So, do we spend our time in prayer looking for something from God…or are we desiring a
connection with God? In particular, for Luke, prayer is not about getting things from God, rather
it is about the relationship we have with our God. Echoing that thought, Franciscan Richard
Rohr reminds us that “prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is, rather, a
stance. It’s a way of living in the Presence, living in awareness of the Presence, and even of
enjoying the Presence.”

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Perhaps it is a bit of both as it is in our heartfelt and honest rendering of our needs, wants and
desires to our God that we build upon our relationship with God. It is the place where we seek a
deeper and trusting relationship with the One who comes to us as a loving parent.
Leave it to my grandson, Oliver, who is just over two years old and is slowly picking up his
vocabulary. My wife and I are blessed that we get to spend a great deal of time with him and
has seen us pray. But it was just last month or so, as we were all sitting down to dinner, that he
quickly placed his hands out and said, “pray.” And we all looked at each other in somewhat awe
– accepted his invitation…held hands and prayed over our meal…and Oliver ended with a big
Amen! And his yearning for prayer has expanded, when just the other day I was locking him into
his car seat as he was heading on a trip with his parents and he just looked at me and said,
“pray?”
Even at a young age, he has recognized and learned that prayer is inherently about
connections. That it is about forming and nurturing and recognizing and giving thanks for the
relationship we have with each other and with our God. And while God can and does change
circumstances – I am convinced that more often prayer changes me and changes you – if we
allow it. Somehow my 2-year-old grandson has already figured that out.
But if we are really focused on looking at the result of our prayers – take note how this gospel
passage ends. For in the very last line we heard today, Christ weaves in the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the reason being is that no matter how we pray, where we pray or what we pray
for…even in a transactional way – the answer…the reply is always relational – by opening our
eyes and hearts and souls to the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that holds us,
assures us, and walks with us no matter what has happened – reminding us of our God who
loves us every moment of every day and simply desires to be in relationship with you and me.
In the words of theologian Ilia Delio, “Prayer is the longing of the human heart for God. It is a
yearning and desire for relationship with God, and it is God’s attention to our desire: God-in-
communion with us.”
So maybe at its deepest level prayer is not about necessarily getting something or about
problem solving or resolving issues (although we are encouraged to trust in God for these
things), but rather, the result of all prayer is the awareness and receptivity to the Holy
Spirit…allowing us to know the God…and connect with the God…who creates within us the
desire to pray for whatever we need or want. And if I ever personally ever forget that, I always
have my grandson Oliver who will turn to me, center me, look at me, reach out to me with open
arms and ask me to “pray.”