By Francis Gayang csc –
Readings: Col 2: 06 – 15; Lk 6: 12 – 19
The scripture reported that Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. He prayed in synagogues, Gethsemane, and in secluded places at the start of a new day. Prayer is the source of strength as it connects him strongly with his Father. It is in prayer that we can be open to God’s voice to challenge and redirect our life.
In this passage, Jesus said a special prayer before selecting the successors for his mission. He prayed genuinely to receive the inspiration of the Father. The chosen were among the imperfect onesthe illiterate, outcast, and the poor according to standards of the world.
We can be sure that no one was going to listen to them. They were merely fishermen having no social influence. However, Jesus chose such people to shame the wise, by qualifying them to the rank of his trustees (1Cor 1:27). The constant communion with his Father through prayer gave him enough strength and wisdom to carry out every new task with confidence.
Through his life, Jesus exemplified to us that prayer is the tool and weapon to discern the right decision and fight against the evil forces. It is a necessity that should not be compromised. The moment I start compromising my prayer life is the moment my distancing from God begins. As a spiritual being, prayer is my daily booster as it forms me to become more human.
If Jesus, as a true God and a true man, felt the need to pray on a daily basis, what about me, a human; frail and corrupt?