The Power of Prayer

In today's first reading,  Esther C: 12, 14,-16, 23-25,  Queen Esther, an orphaned Jew, feels obligated to intervene for her fellow Israelites, whom her husband, the King, has given orders to be put to death.  Seized with incredible fear, Esther, with her handmaidens, prostrate themselves in prayer day and night begging for help.  Esther begs for the courage to approach the King, praying: "Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion and turn  his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness." And God grants her request and the Israelites are spared execution. Obviously, without God's intervention and help, Queen Esther, in no way, would have had the courage to approach her husband. He was bent on getting rid of all the Israelites who dwelt in his land.  On the other hand, her faith in Yahweh was solid.  She was convinced that God would give her the courage she needed to stand up to the King. And He did not disappoint her.

Queen Esther reminds me of King David, who has a little boy, possibly an adolescent, approached Goliath with the same faith. We see this same faith lived out by Jesus, a human being like us in all things but sin.  When faced with incredible evil, he did not flinch. He confronted demons, raised the dead to life, cast out diseases of all kinds, including leprosy, and challenged the Pharisees and scribes who plotted to kill him. Evil forces did not stop Jesus from carrying out the mission God had given Him, as was so evident when He told His apostles that He was going up to Jerusalem, where He knew He would be put to death.  Jesus did not hide from life's difficulties, not even death. He showed us that the powers of evil do not have the last say. He triumphed over death and all other evils that plagued Him during His active ministry.

Lord, we need the courage of Queen Esther, King David and You Yourself, so as to confront evil in our day.  How many times do I not cower in fear and do nothing.  How often do I not pretend that the evil is not happening around me or, worse, join others in doing what is absolutely wrong and against Your holy will.  Have mercy, Lord!  Please give me the courage that you gave Queen Esther to do what I know you are calling me to do for the welfare of others.

The Power and Need of Intercessory Prayer

In today's Gospel, Mark 7: 24-30, a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, begs Jesus to heal her daughter, who is possessed of "an unclean spirit."  Initially, Jesus dismisses her, calling her a derogatory name given to non-Jews of His time, much like, in our days, foreigners are dismissed and help is first given to U.S. citizens, not to undocumented immigrants.  The woman, however, is not put out. She insists that Jesus help her daughter. When Jesus says to her: "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs," she retorts with "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."  She is not put off! It is like she says to Him: "Please, Lord, have some pity for humankind. My daughter deserves a healing as much as Jews do!"  Jesus is amazed at the faith of this woman and her persistence.  He heals her daughter, making her whole, freeing her of the "unclean spirit"!

Do you and I believe in the power of intercessory prayer, as did this Syrophoenician woman?  Do we have the self-confidence of this woman who is not deterred by derogatory remarks to persistent in what we believe is our responsibility to stand up for another and/or for ourselves?

We have many examples that testify to the power of intercessory prayer: persons healed at the shrines of Fatima and Lourdes, people like St. Augustine who are converted through the prayers of a mother/father, and many others miracles that have taken place throughout history.

As we reflect upon this Gospel, we might also ask ourselves:  Of what "demons" do you and I need to be freed? What healing do we need from Jesus? Are their persons in our lives in need of healing and do you and I realize how important it is to prayer for them?

The Power of Prayer

In today's first reading, Tobit 6, Raphael and Tobiah, upon Raphael's suggestion, visit Raguel, a relative of Tobiah's.  They are well received and Tobiah asked to be permitted to marry Sarah, Raguel's daughter.  Sarah has already been given to marriage to seven other men and each, on the night of their marriage, before consummating the marriage, each of the men have died. Tobias is made aware of this but still wants to marry Sarah.  Raguel says to him:  "She is yours according to the decree of the book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven!  Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved." That night the couple pray together and then "went to bed for the night."  The following morning both are very much alive and continue their life together as man and wife.  In their prayer, before retiring, both begged to be delivered from what must have seemed like a curse. Tobias prayed,  saying to the Lord: "Now, Lord, you know that I make this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Send down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."

The power of prayer!

The power of love!

The power of humility!

The importance of putting God, including God, in all of our decisions!

Tobiah and Sarah knew all of these important qualities: putting God first and including God, the power of love, the importance of humility, and the essential element of praying together with one another as a married couple. Doing so is not something to be ashamed of! Members of a religious community pray together several times each day. Do you in your marriage pray together? Do you, as a single person, have a prayer partner?