HOW SHOULD WE PRAY FOR OUR TEMPORAL NEEDS? - 03/02/23 (Thursday of the First Week in Lent)

Matthew 7:9–10

“Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish?” 

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030223.cfm

Blessed Thursday! In the gospel reading for today, Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you." Our Lord is pertaining to the importance of prayer and to our confidence that what we pray will be granted by the Lord. But, how should we pray and what is the proper way of praying? We know that Lenten season is another opportunity to deepen our prayer life, but for us to have progress in our spiritual journey, we should understand first the type of prayer that we should imitate and the type of prayer that we should avoid. As we look in the passage above, Jesus asked His disciples, “Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish?” One reason why our Lord compared the stone with a loaf of bread was because when we would look at them from afar, they would seem to look alike. The same is true for a small snake and a long fish. And yet, despite having some similarities, we know that the bread and fish are good for the child, not the stone and the snake. In the same way, we should recognize the type of prayer that is more pleasing to God and the type of prayer that we should avoid. When we remember the "Our Father" prayer, there is a line here that shows us the essence of prayer, and this is, "Thy Will be done." 

To meditate on this better, let's use a concrete example such as a man who applies for a job. This person may pray by saying, "Lord, I want this job for me. May You give me this opportunity because this is what I really want." Unfortunately, this type of prayer focuses on oneself rather than on God's plan for him. It implies as if prayer is about telling God what He has to do to satisfy our wants in life. On the other hand, this man can pray by saying, "Lord, if it's Your will, may You make it possible for me to have this job. If it's Your will that I may not be accepted, may You grant me the grace to accept it. Jesus, I trust in You." This prayer doesn't have to be said word per word, but the essence of this prayer is about God's will. When we pray this, we are submitting ourselves to the plan of God for us with confidence that whatever happens, even if it's contrary to our initial plans, it's always for our good provided that we trust in our Lord. Some may wonder, "How can it be better for our plans to not be fulfilled?" Though we cannot give a full response to this type of question, it's important for us to be humble and recognize that God's ways are not our ways. In God's wisdom, He knows what events in our lives will lead us to give Him greater glory and help us in our path to holiness. Sometimes, those who are more successful financially may fall to more sins. Or, it can be that because our plans are not initially fulfilled, we learn to depend more on God and be humble. The two examples of prayers mentioned above may look similar with one another, but in reality, only the type of prayer that is centered on God's glory is right. God doesn't always say "yes" to what we ask in our prayers if it's about temporal goods, but if we are faithful to God and if we reflect on our experiences, we will see that everything that God gives is for our own good and for our salvation. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Fasting and Abstinence during Lent:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56337/fasting-and-abstinence-during-lent

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth