Pope Francis Praying is going with Jesus to the Father who will give you everything 10.05.20

The Father has always been present in Jesus' life, and Jesus spoke of it. Jesus prayed to the Father. And many times, he spoke of the Father who takes care of us, and how he takes care of the birds, the lilies of the field. The Father. And when the disciples asked him to how to pray, Jesus taught them to pray the "Our Father". He always goes to the Father. But in this passage it is very strong; and also it is as if he opened the doors of the all powerfulness of prayer. "Because I am going to the Father: whatever you ask in my name, I will do, everything. so that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14: 12-13). This trust in the Father, trust in the Father who is able to do everything. This courage to pray, because it takes courage to pray! It takes the same courage, the same boldness as to preach: the same.

Let us think of our father Abraham, when he - I think it is said - "haggled" with God to save Sodom ( Gen 18: 20-33): "What if they were less? And less? And less?...." Really, he knew how to negotiate. But always with this courage: "Excuse me, Lord, but give me a discount: a little less, a little less...". Always the courage of the struggle in prayer, because praying is to fight: to battle with God. And then, Moses: twice that the Lord would have wanted to destroy the people ( Exd 32:1-35 and Nm 11:1-3) and make him the leader of another people, Moses said "No!". And he said "no" to the Father! With courage! But if you go to pray like this – whispers a timid prayer – this is a lack of respect! Praying is going with Jesus to the Father who will give you everything. Courage in prayer, frankness in prayer. The same that is needed for preaching.

And we heard in the first Reading that conflict in the early days of the Church ( Acts 6:1-7), because Christians of Greek origin murmured – they complained, already at that time this was done: you see that it is a habit of the Church. They murmured because their widows, their orphans were not well cared for; the apostles had no time to do so many things. And Peter, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, "invented", let us say, the deacons. "Let's do something: we're looking for seven people who are good and for these men can take care of this service" ( Acts 6:2-4). The deacon is the guardian of service in the Church. And so these people, who are right to complain, are well cared for in their needs "and we," Peter says, "we will devote ourselves to prayer and the proclamation of the Word" (6: 5). This is the bishop's task: to pray and preach. With this strength that we have felt in the Gospel: the bishop is the first who goes to the Father, with the confidence that Jesus gave, with courage, with the parish, to fight for his people. A bishop's first task is to pray. Peter said it: "And to us, prayer and the proclamation of the Word."

I met a priest, a holy, good parish priest, who when he met a bishop greeted him, always asked the question: "Your Excellency, how many hours a day do you pray?", and he always said this: "Because the first task is to pray." Because it is the prayer of the head of the community for the community, the intercession to the Father to take care of the people.

The bishop's prayer, the first task: to pray. And the people, seeing the bishop pray, learn to pray. Because the Holy Spirit teaches us that it is God who "does things. We do a little bit, but it is he who does the things for the Church, and prayer is the one that carries the Church forward. And for this reason, the leaders of the Church, that is to say, the bishops, must go forward with prayer.

That word of Peter is prophetic: "Let deacons do all this, so people are well cared for and the problems are solved and even their needs. But to us, bishops, prayer and the proclamation of the Word."

It is sad to see good bishops good, good people, but busy with so many things, the finances, and this and that and that and that. Prayer first. Then, the other things. But when other things take away from prayer, something doesn't work. And prayer is strong for what we have heard in the Gospel of Jesus: "I will go to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son"(John 14: 12-13) So the Church progresses, with prayer, the courage of prayer, because the Church knows that without this access to the Father it cannot survive.