Gospel: Luke 6:12-16
When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus
is a man of prayer. He always makes it a point to pray and commune with God.
Prayer is an essential part of His life, and through His example, Jesus teaches
us that prayer should also be an essential part of our lives.
Many
of us remember to pray only when we need something or when we face problems.
Sometimes, the intensity of our prayers even depends on the seriousness of our
difficulties. When our problems are serious, we pray fervently. But when our
problems seem small or when life is going well, we sometimes become less
prayerful.
Some
of us even treat prayer like an object in our homes that we use only when
needed. When there is no pressing need, we set it aside and forget about it.
Then, when a new problem jolts us out of our comfort zones, we turn to God and
pray once again. Sadly, we sometimes remember to seek the Lord only when we are
in trouble, forgetting that He also desires our presence when everything is
going well.
An
active prayer life is one of the primary sources of nourishment for our souls.
When we pray, we humbly approach Jesus and open our hearts to Him. We share our
joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears, and our struggles and victories.
We
ask the Lord to guide us, strengthen us, and remain with us in every
circumstance. As we make prayer a regular part of our lives, we develop a
deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus. Prayer also brings peace to
our hearts, even when our problems remain unresolved, because we know that we
are never alone.
In
the Gospel, before choosing the twelve apostles who would help Him carry out
His mission, Jesus went up the mountain to pray (Luke 6:12). He spent the
entire night in prayer, placing Himself in communion with the Father.
Afterward, He came down from the mountain and chose the twelve apostles (Luke
6:13).
Let
us reflect on this beautiful example of Jesus. If our Lord and Savior made time
to pray before making an important decision, how much more do we need to pray
as we face the challenges and decisions of our daily lives? Prayer is not
merely something we do when we are desperate or when we have exhausted all
other options. It is an expression of our love for God, our dependence on Him,
and our desire to remain close to Him.
Let
us not allow our busy schedules, personal ambitions, or daily concerns to push
prayer to the sidelines of our lives. Let us make time for Jesus every day, not
only when we need His help but also when we want to thank Him, praise Him,
listen to Him, and simply rest in His loving presence. The more we nurture our
relationship with Him through prayer, the more we learn to trust His wisdom and
follow His will.
Today, let us ask ourselves: Do we make time
for Jesus every day because we love Him and desire to grow closer to Him, or do
we remember to pray only when we need something from Him?—Marino J.
Dasmarinas
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