The disciples petition: “Lord, teach us to pray.”
The whole life of Jesus is teaching us to do precisely this, to pray. Paragraph 2607 of the Catechism states: “Like a wise teacher he takes hold of us where we are and leads us progressively to the Father.”
We must remember that prayer is not leading us inwardly towards ourself, but it is leading us progressively towards the Father. When Christ enters into prayer He turns His attention towards the Father and when He instructs His apostles on how they are to pray He turns their attention towards the Father by stating, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
This day may we be willing to allow Christ to take a hold of us where we are at. We may be alone, afraid, tired, in pain, or filled with joy, but Christ wants to take us wherever we may be and in return direct our gaze towards the Father.
Towards the Father is the way to conversion because it is this direction that we turn in order to be turned away from ourself and towards God. We do not come here to the Mass to look inwardly upon ourself, but instead we turn together, as one body, towards the Father and lift our hearts up to Him. At the Mass we glance into the cross and realize that it is through this instrument that these Sacred Mysteries are opened wide for each of us.
Prayer is the avenue which leads us towards towards knowledge of God and conversion of heart. Nobody has moved too far away from the ability to be transformed by the mercy of God. If we authentically direct our attention towards God we will be left we no other desire then to be transformed by His mercy.
May we desire to learn how to pray by allowing ourself to be directed towards Heaven. May we be willing to persevere in our prayer and thus be progressively lead towards the Father. May prayer assist us in coming to embrace both trial and joy as we cry out in love towards our Father who is in Heaven.
