27th February 2010

In this Second Week of Lent, perhaps we could take up the theme of “Prayer.”Prayer is about developing a personal relationship with the Lord.Our Lord assures us, “Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.”(Mt 7:7-8).

Many of us may have mixed feelings about these words of Jesus. On the one hand they seem to be “too good to be true” and on the other hand, Jesus doesn’t seem to answer our prayers in the ways that He had promised?! If we feel this way about our prayers, we are probably looking at our needs too much and forgetting to look at Jesus enough.

So the challenge this week is, first, believe in what Jesus said in St Matthew’s Gospel above.Ponder on its truth more deeply and allow the Holy Spirit to touch your hearts and shape your lives more fully. Second, know that the “secret” of a meaningful prayer life is to focus on Jesus more attentively – listen to Him with your heart, feel His Presence with your guts and speak to Him with a childlike trust.  Third, be more aware that our personal prayers are not so much about God giving us what we ask, or solving our problems or soothing our pains.  Prayer is about loving God sincerely, admitting our sinfulness humbly and serving Him selflessly. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr Philip Heng, S.J.

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HOMILIES WRITTEN BY FR PHILIP HENG,S.J.