THE ROCK OF PRAYER

(Reflection for the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. Ex 17:8-13; 2Tim 3:14-4:2; Lk 18:1-8)

This Sunday’s readings encourage us to persevere in prayer. As we scroll through the readings in a prayerful silence, we get more acquainted with the dynamics of consistent prayer. We learn through the experience of the Israelites that life situations are not to be faced with only human strength or calculations. The power of God, working though our consistent prayers, is our strength. 

Israel was under attack by the Amalekites. “We wrestle against principalities and powers, that is why you must put on the armour of God” (Eph 6:12-13). Joshua went with human strength to confront the situation, while Moses climbed the hill of prayer with the staff of God in his hand, accompanied by Aaron the priest and Hur. “As long as Moses had his hands raised, Israel had advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek” (Ex 17:11). Prayer can turn situations around and put us at a gracious position. The force of prayer is always at the background while we take up our daily responsibilities and challenges. 

But Moses hand grew heavy! Here we see the pain, the struggle with prayer. There is always a temptation not to pray. We have to hold our prayer hands against natural inclinations, feelings, mood swings that make it difficult for us to pray. Like Moses, we need support.

Aaron and Hur—the praying community supports us in prayer. Though we pray privately, we still need the companion of the Church i.e. the priests and our brothers and sisters in faith. That is why the Church encourages us to join pious groups and attend Mass regularly. We are equally supported in prayer by the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels and Saints in Heaven. In fact, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid in prayer (Rm 8:26).

In addition, they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat. The stone represents the Word and the Sacraments—solid rocks of faith—on which we rest on to be praying continually. They give us steady support. No matter how our praying hands may grow weary, distracted, procrastinating, etc, if we rest them on the rocks of the Word of God and the Sacraments of the Church, they will remain raised up to God. These are solid foundations of faith that transcend individual belief and private prayers; they do not fail. Their validity is not based on any private person’s faith or disposition. Instead, they are founded and rooted in Christ Jesus as the Head of the Body, the Church. 

Therefore, in the Word and Sacraments, we rely on Jesus, the Solid Rock of our Faith, the Rock of Ages. He is the Cornerstone of our lives and prayers. He is the real Rock that produces the living water that quenches our thirst forever (cf. Num 20:11). Jesus is “Our Mediator, whose blood bleeds more insistently than Abel’s (Heb 12:24). His eternal sacrifice is the highest and most consistent prayer. Hence, the Eucharist becomes our highest form of prayer and worship, in which we participate in the prayer of Jesus. How can our prayer fail when we pray with Jesus? 

This is the strong advice St Paul gives in the second reading, “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be upright. This is how someone dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). The Bible remains our foremost prayer book. It’s an unfailing guide to prayer. Like a rock, it sustains and revives prayer life.  The Bible helps us to keep to keep to what we were taught and know to be true, following the Sacred Tradition of the Church. Adulterated faith will definitely frustrate our prayer life. 

Perseverance in prayer takes courage. This is obvious in the parable of the persistent Widow and the unjust Judge. Helpless and in need, she summoned courage and went to this judge, and continually for a very long time. The power of the poor widow’s perseverance summoned the Judge to judgement and sentenced him to grant the woman’s request. 

Jesus promises us that God answers His elect who persevere in calling on Him—though He delays, He will see justice done to them speedily. He answers speedily because God is just, and He answers according to what each deserves and at the right time. Once the time is ripe, He does not delay. “But when the Son of man comes, will He find any faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). When God comes to deliver answers to our prayers, will He still find an active faith ready to receive it? 

New Churches, prayer groups, new spiritualities, etc are emerging every day. These are signs of a faithless generation. The current ideology that we hold on to our creed and also believe in its seeming alternative is a disaster to faith and prayer. Such confusion is a sign that we have not rested our praying hands on Christ the Rock but on ourselves and our problems. Let us learn from Jesus and rest on Him as our Rock of prayer just as Moses rested on the rock. God will answer us speedily. 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Cathedral of 12 Apostles,

Garki, Abuja.

16 October, 2016.