Sunday After Ascension Homily

Saint Peter addresses us in these words: “be prudent, and watch in prayers.” To this Saint Alphonsus states: “There is nothing which preachers, confessors, and spiritual books should insist upon with more warmth and energy than prayer.” Saint John Damascene defines prayer as “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”

Our Gospel instructs us concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles at Pentecost. We know that prior to this outpouring they remained watchful and were found in prayer in the Upper Room. So too we must foster this most important of relationships. Our faith should not be lowered to the bare minimum, but should extend towards becoming a relationship with God. We can only dare to foster a relationship with God if we dare to pray.

To the importance of prayer Sacred Scripture states from Saint Paul to the Thessalonians: “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Saint Paul is telling us of the importance of prayer and how it should be weaved into everything that we do. There are so many who rush through life and fail to make room for prayer. We are never too busy to pray; the issue is not time, but a lack of making it a priority. Let us never fall into making such an excuse.

The liturgical life of the Church is so rich we should find no issue in finding ways to pray. We have liturgical prayer and private prayer. Our liturgy guides us in joining together in worship of God for the good of the Church. The Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours are all forms of liturgical prayer. Private prayer such as the rosary, Eucharistic adoration, the study of scripture, the reading of spiritual books, and more are all ways in which we can enkindle our relationship with God.

Prayer is also of upmost importance in the family. When is the last time that your family has prayed together? As St. John Paul II had stated: “We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary.” The family should be the domestic church which means the church at home. It is at home that prayer should be fostered and vocations should be promoted.

It should be no shock to us to know that the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. It is for this reason that the family currently finds itself under attack and sin seems to be such an appealing part of society. To keep watch means that one remains on the lookout for danger or trouble. Therefore, prayer is so important for it assists us in loving God, knowing His commands, and serving His Divine Will in all that we do.

May we remain prudent and always be found at watch when it pertains to prayer. There will be nothing that will be more rewarding for us then building up this relationship with God. May we make this relationship manifest in our life especially within our families. Our homes should be known as being a “House of Prayer” therefore let us “be prudent, and watch in prayers.”