Prayers and their Answers

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 4th week in Ordinary time

Febraury 1, 2022: 2 Samuel 18:9-10,14,24-25,30-19:3; Mark 5: 21-43

Turn your ear and give answer, O Lord, we pray in response to the Word today. Our prayers are answered always - at times it pleases us but at times it does not give us happiness at the moment. What is important to keep in mind is, the Lord hears us and the Lord know what is best for us. 

We have today the lovely twin episode of the woman who suffered from haemorrhage and that of the daughter of Jairus... the highlight is on how they persons here placed their total trust that the Lord will hear their cry - one better than the other. One asking the Lord to come and the other trying to touch the helm of his garments, with such confidence that the Lord will do to them, what they wished, prayed for and longed for. 

There is another important dimension that is added - at times the answer to our prayers may not be all pleasant. David was desperately looking for peace in his kingdom, safety from his enemies and the end of all the rebellion against him. The prayer was indeed answered - his son Absalom was killed! He cried bitterly and mourned, for he loved his son! But the prayer for peace and calm, had to be answered. 

At times we do not know what to pray for and how to pray for. This helps us to understand what St. Paul tells us in Romans 8:26: at times we do not know how to pray as we ought! It is the Spirit of the Lord who teaches us, not only how to pray but also what a true prayer is: a total surrender to the Lord, than prompting to the Lord what is to be done. We need to grow more and more in the prayer of surrender, thus prayers and their answers, all lead to one ideal end - a deep relationship with God.