Friday of the 15th week in ordinary time
Isaiah 38: 1-6. 21-22. 7-8 Mathew 12: 1-8
Theme: The power of prayer
In the 1st reading of today, we 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? However, this does not limit the mercy of God at any point in time in our lives. This is a question that is worth reflecting on by every one of us who go by the name Christian. Hezekiah was able to bring that up with God because he has made honest and sincere effort to live his life in a way that is good and pleasing in the sight of God.
Dear friends 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. The saying that a prayerful Christian is a powerful Christian is very true. Prayer is a weapon that God has given to us as his children. We see the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus himself. Even with the crowd around him, he will still look for the opportunity to go aside and pray. If Jesus Christ who is God, always made effort to pray, let alone you and myself. The prayer of Hezekiah is a reminder to all of us, about what prayer can do in our lives. The more we pray, the more connected we will be with the divine.
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. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.