“Everything is possible for those who believe, as the Gospel teaches”
What is the prayer in the Gospel of those who can get what they ask of the Lord? From this question, the reflection of the Pope began in the homily of the mass celebrated on Friday (12/01), in Casa Santa Marta.
The Gospel of Mark, both yesterday and today, speaks of two cures: that of the leper and that of the paralytic. Both pray for healing, both do it with faith: the leper, the Pope said, challenges Jesus with courage, saying: “If you want, you have the power to heal me!”. And the Lord’s answer is immediate: “I will.” Therefore, everything is possible for those who believe, as the Gospel teaches. “
Always, when we approach the Lord to ask for something, we must start from faith and do it in faith: “I have faith that you can heal me, I believe that you can do this” and have the courage to challenge it , as this leper of yesterday, this man of today, this paralytic today. Prayer in faith.
In fact, there are many episodes of the Gospel in which approaching the Lord is difficult for those who are in difficulties and this serves as an example for each of us.
The paralytic in Mark’s Gospel today, for example, even comes down from the ceiling so that his litter reaches the Lord who is preaching in the crowd. “The will leads to finding a solution”, said Francisco, “makes it go beyond the difficulties”.
Courage to fight and reach the Lord. Courage to have faith in the beginning: “If you want, you have the power to heal me. If you want, I believe. ” And the courage to approach the Lord when there are so many difficulties. That courage … Often, it takes patience and knowing how to wait for the times, but do not give up, always go forward. But if I come to the Lord with faith and say, “But if you want, you can give me this grace” and then but … as grace after three days did not come, then another thing … .and I forget. Courage.
If prayer is not courageous, it is not Christian
Saint Monica, Augustine’s mother, prayed and “wept very much” for the conversion of her son and managed to obtain it. Then the Pope places her among the many Saints who had great courage in their faith. Courage “to challenge the Lord,” courage to “believe,” even if you do not get what you ask for right away, because “prayer throws everything” and “if prayer is not brave, it’s not Christian”:
Christian prayer is born of faith in Jesus and always follows with faith, beyond difficulties. A phrase to bring it into our heart today will help us, from our father Abraham, to whom the inheritance was promised, that is, to have a son at the age of 100.
The apostle Paul says: “Believe” and this was justified. Faith is “set in the way”: faith and do everything to get to that grace that I’m asking. The Lord told us, “Ask and it shall be given you.” Let us also take this Word and have confidence, but always with faith and believing. This is the courage that has Christian prayer. If a prayer is not courageous, it is not Christian.
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