Scripture:
Reflection:
“Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”
That verse sounds as if God has given us a blank check to ask anything of him. We know, however, that prayer is not a matter of snapping our fingers, dictating our will to God, and presto, getting whatever we want.
The verse that clarifies and breaks open the Good News in today’s gospel is this: “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may complete (16:24).” The word “joy” is chara in Greek, stemming from charis, which means grace. In other words, joy is produced by God’s grace, God’s gift. Joy is as strong as steel and as tender as the heart. God’s joy is durable in good times and in bad.
I recall, during my student days as a Passionist seminarian, the words of a wonderful priest, Father Randal Joyce, C.P., at Mass on a Sunday morning: “Joy is the unmistakable, infallible sign of the presence of God.” I have never forgotten those words from this holy man of prayer.
Real prayer then is prayer that completes our joy. It is prayer that leads unmistakably to communion with God. Prayer is a humble and heartfelt attitude of dependency on God who loves us and wants only the good for us. True prayer begins in conforming our will to the will of God. And in that moment, Jesus promises us, our joy will be complete, full, and perfect.
Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.