The Cry That Bothers

Prayer is « a cry » that is not afraid to « bother God », to make noise, as when one « knocks at a door » insistently. This, according to Pope Francis, is the meaning of prayer, which must be addressed to the Lord in a spirit of truth and with the certainty that he can truly grant it. The Pope spoke of this in the homily of the Mass celebrated on Friday morning, 6 December, in the chapel of the Saint Martha residence. Referring to the passage from chapter 9 of Matthew (27-31), the Pope first drew attention to a word contained in the Gospel passage « that makes us reflect: the cry ». The blind men, who were following the Lord, cried out to be healed. « Even that blind man at the entrance to Jericho cried out and the Lord's friends wanted to silence him », the Holy Father recalled. But this man « asks the Lord for a grace and he asks for it by crying out », as if to say to Jesus: « But do it! I have a right to your doing this! ».

« The cry – the Pope explained – is here a sign of prayer. Jesus himself, when he taught us to pray, said to do so like the importunate friend who, at midnight, went to ask for a piece of bread for his guests ». Or else «  to do so like the widow with the corrupt judge ». In substance, the Pope continued, « to do so – I would say – by being a bother. I don't know, perhaps this does not sound good, but to pray is a little like bothering God so that he listens to us ».

Moreover, when we pray, it is the Lord himself who asks us: « Do you believe that I can do this? ». A question from which arises the question that each of us must ask ourselves: « Am I certain that he can do it? Or do I pray a little, but I do not know whether he can do it? ». The answer is that « he can do it », even if « we do not know when he will do it and how he will do it ». Precisely «  this is the security of prayer ».

As for the specific « need » that motivates our prayer, it must be presented « with truth to the Lord: I am blind, Lord, I have this need, I have this illness, I have this sin, I have this sorrow ». Thus, he « feels the need, but he feels that we ask for his intervention with security ».

In conclusion, Pope Francis reaffirmed the necessity of always reflecting « on whether our prayer is a need and whether it is sure »: it is « a need because we tell the truth to ourselves », and it is « sure because we believe that the Lord can do what we ask ».

Source: News.va