Friday September 27, 2024

Luke 9:18-22

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’

When I was in seminary, we used to do an exercise called praying with scripture. We would read a passage and let it simmer. We were invited to pay attention to our souls’s reaction!response to the reading. I used that exercise on this passage. It felt warm, sweet. The thought of Jesus praying (which I knew he did) gave me reason to find or rather make the time to pray. What was he praying for?

He needed clarity!!! There were so many people needing him to be this and that. His heart was troubled he was about to disappoint them and nobody enjoys that. His path was going to look like failure, he was going to embrace the cross. Non of the disciples liked the idea of a suffering messiah. So he prayed about it!

Although it makes me feel warm and sweet that he was a praying man, I also know that these were trying times. May you find or rather make time to pray. I miss having a church where people can come in at any time and sit before the blessed sacrament. Some day folks, some day we will have that. In the meantime, go into any church, especially those with kneelers and pray.