Friday of the 15th week in the ordinary time
Theme: The power of prayer
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the church. He was a Franciscan and a lecturer of Theology. His gift and intelligence was an asset for both his congregation and also for the church in general. In the same way, as we celebrate him today, let us make good use of the gifts God has given us for the good of the church and humanity at large. He was also a man of prayer; simply put he believed in the power of prayer in everything that he did.
In the 1st reading of today, we also see how God showed Hezekiah his mercy because he went to God in prayer with remorse and humility, and he was healed of his sickness. Thus his action won for him the mercy of God and another fifteen years added to his life span. Also God added more blessings by promising him and his people guidance and protection. However, one thing that is worthy of note, is the statement that was made by Hezekiah when he was pleading for the mercy of God. Hezekiah said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight”. One can say that the above prayer from Hezekiah was answered by God. My brothers and sisters in Christ, do you have anything with which you can seek the mercy of God for yourself? This is a question that is worth reflecting on by every one of us who go by the name Christian.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the answered prayer of Hezekiah is an invitation to all of us as Christians to imbibe the spirit of prayer in our daily lives. We don’t have to wait until we are in trouble before we go to God in prayer, we must learn to pray both in good times and in bad times too.
In the gospel reading, we see Jesus educating us about what matters most. He emphasizes the spirit of the law as against the letters of the law. This is because the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath. We pray today that through the intercession of St. Bonaventure that God will strengthen our resolve to be more prayerful, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.