“Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13)

How much faith do we have to pray in the name of Jesus for our needs?  I have seen prayers in the name of Jesus heal a hole in the heart of our daughter, Emily; restore a vision loss in me from glaucoma; find wonderful Christian spouses for our four married children; and keep me alive from a diagnosis of an aggressive and advanced prostate cancer 19 years ago.

In the workplace, I have seen prayers in the name of Jesus turn a negative work environment into a positive one; enable a person to forgive a business partner who had defrauded him of thousands of dollars; and guide a prosecutor to lead a defendant he had prosecuted several times to surrender his life to Christ before he died.

In Acts 3, a cripple asks Peter and John for alms as they are entering the temple.  Peter responds, “Look at us…I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, walk.” Peter then takes his hand and lifts him up.  His feet and ankles instantly become strong, he jumps to his feet, and he begins walking, jumping, and praising God.

Jesus says when we pray in his name, we create an opportunity for him to bring glory to the Father.  Jesus wants to bring glory to the Father.  So, it isn’t just about praying for our needs, it is also about providing an opportunity for Jesus to bring glory to the Father.  This was not something that was meant only for the early Church. These words apply to us today as well.  Pray for something in the name of Jesus today so that he may bring glory to the Father. 

How much faith do you have in the name of Jesus? 

“Lord if it’s you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” (Mt. 14:22-33)

When we read Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter’s attempt to get out of the boat and walk toward him, we tend to dwell on Peter’s apparent lack of faith which resulted in him sinking until he called out to Jesus to save him. 

Still, of all the disciples, Peter was the only one who had the courage to get out of the safety of the boat and walk toward Jesus.  It is normal for us to seek safety and comfort, but sometimes the Lord calls us to step out of our comfort to do something for him or others.

Several years ago, I signed up for Catholic jail ministry under the auspices of Catholic Charities in our diocese.  The experience took me way out of my comfort zone.  A jail, by necessity, has very strict security with lots of rules administered by sheriff deputies who are trained to control the movement, actions, and very lives of the inmates.  They also strictly control the movement and actions of any visitors regardless of their purpose. 

There are mandatory orientation and periodic training required of all visitors who provide educational or ministry assistance to inmates.  On my first visit to the cell and classroom area, I was struck by the slamming of three heavy steel doors behind me as I proceeded to the classroom.

In spite of the strict environment, the prisoners love coming to learn and share their faith.  This past Saturday provided one of those instances when the positive responses from the inmates more than offset any discomfort I may experience being in a jail environment.

Our usual practice is to say a rosary with the men and then review the scripture readings for Sunday’s mass and invite them to discuss what the readings say to them.  All of Sunday’s readings were about persistence.

Some of the men shared how important it was for them to persist in reading scripture and have fellowship with fellow Christian inmates so that they can make changes in their lives never to return to the jail again.  What a testimony it was to us and their fellow inmates!

Is the Lord calling you out of your boat of comfort in some way to serve him? 

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” (James 1:19 NIV)

If we calculate the amount of time we talk versus the amount of time we listen, what would be the ratio?  Would it tilt toward talking or listening?  A good friend of our family had an uncanny ability to listen.  If you would ask her how she was doing, she would quickly turn the conversation back to what was going on in your life.

On a Sunday morning a few years ago, I experienced the blessing of taking communion to a 95-year-old gentleman, a widower who lived alone in the house that had been his for more than 40 years.  In response to my question of “How are you doing today,” I heard about his wife of 52 years who died a few years previously; about his son who is a priest; about the many missions he flew in World War II and the Korean War; how he was a consultant to Congressional committees overseeing the Air Force, and finally, about his current health issues. What a blessing it was not to talk for more than 30 minutes, but just listen.  

We have the opportunity to listen wherever we are — at work, at home, or social gatherings. If our desire is to learn and grow in each of these venues, we soon realize that we don’t learn much from talking, but we do from listening. As an attorney, I found that I was able to better serve my corporate clients when I listened more.  At home, I serve and love my wife and children better by listening more. At social events I honor our guests by listening more.  While my efforts are sometimes spotty, I try to change course as soon as I realize that I am talking too much.   

We can also listen even when we are alone.  The Lord loves to put thoughts in our minds about various things going on in our lives so long as we are open to listening.  I have often allowed the noise of everyday life to drown out God’s voice, but the psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  (Psalm 46:10 NIV) 

Are we listening to the Lord and others, or to our own voice and noise?          

“But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” (Matthew 6:5 NIV)

When I pray in the morning before breakfast, I go into my den to pray.  While you might think this qualifies for the kind of room Jesus is talking about, St. Ambrose, a fourth century theologian and doctor of the Church,  said, “But by ‘room’ you must understand, not a room enclosed by walls…,but the room that is within you, the room where you hide your thoughts, where you keep your affections.  This room is always with you, wherever you are, and it is always a secret room, where only God can see you.” 

A room of our thoughts can be wherever we are physically present.  It might be in our car, at our workplace, in a restaurant, or any number of places.  Most of the time when I am someplace other than church or morning prayer, I am not thinking about the Lord.  Nor am I necessarily trying to engage the Lord in my thoughts on these occasions. 

I may pray at the beginning of the day that the Lord will be present in my thoughts throughout the day, but I get caught up in whatever I am doing and forget entirely that the Lord’s presence is available to me if I simply ask or remind myself that he is there. 

Several years ago, I read a book entitled Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  He said we should think about God all day regardless of what we are doing.  As we do our daily chores, help our kids with their homework, and even do our work, we can think of the Lord and bring his presence into every activity.  Unfortunately, I must confess that most of the time I am focused on whatever I am doing and not remembering to bring the Lord into the moment.   

But we can take solace in Jesus’ last words before his ascension, “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20) We just need to acknowledge his continuous presence in our mind and thoughts, and in whatever we are doing. 

Do you remember to bring Jesus into your thoughts throughout the day?