18/09/2023

Sometimes I find it  difficult to get started on my only dedicated time for prayer during my day. Today is one of those days and of course my sloth is enhanced by a computer glitch of some sort. St Paul tells us today how to come together in prayer. We are told to pray first for our political leaders for they provide us with the stability that we all need if we are not to be distracted from the reason for our creation.

 

Jesus taught us that prayer is the best thing we can do in our lives on earth. The whole of his life was a prayer to the Father that the consequences of the sin of Adam be wiped clean and each of us after baptism would become a new Adam but not add to the sin of the world. St Paul's teaching the importance of prayer for political stability must be a reflection of Jesus own words, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" and not become the focus of our lives. 

The institution that was founded by "Thou art Peter and on this rock I will build my Church"  very soon fell into the clutches of Mammon and thus the shepherds could justify the "things of this world" which even in the second century filled their time to the detriment of prayer.

I was born into a world that was racked by war. I remember bombs falling, beams of  searchlights piercing the night sky and newspaper pictures of our "paras" landing at Arnhem. Since infancy I have not been personally troubled by man's inhumanity to man. Millions of my contemporaries, however, have never known stability for even the earth where they live is itself unstable and prone to natural disasters let alone the manmade disaster that is the organised killing of our neighbour, that we call war.

Jesus' miracles are the work of the Father in response to the perfect prayer of the perfect man. Today a man of authority, a representative of the "stability" that was Rome has sent messengers to ask Jesus for help. The news of Jesus' miracles had quickly spread and "been the topic of the day" and this pagan had also been impressed by what he had heard. He must have been inspired by the Holy Spirit for blind faith without the support of belief is "astonishing" indeed.

Jesus has taught us that to live in righteousness we are first to know the Father. We do this by following in Jesus' footsteps, being attentive to his words and thus live in holiness. If we have answered a vocation to dedicate our all to Father, Son and Holy Spirit we have to remember this at all times. 

Praising the Rule of St Benedict and its emphasis on stability doesn't cut much ice when the writer has just come back from another overseas trip. Secular Clergy have been plagued ever since Judas pilfered from the bag, by the temptations that come with an authority which they in their in their self-centered pride transform into power. Popes, prelates and priests also have to answer to God for their lives on earth. Who am I to point the finger? Who is Francis to judge?

Dear Lord, let my being be open to your saving grace. Let me learn how to pray and let the grace of Heaven be directed by Mary and all the saints towards the sinners both on Earth and in Purgatory. Turn the eyes of the powerful prelates inward that they might become examples of faithfulness and not disturb the faithfulness of their Flocks.