Prayers are Always Heard and Always Answered

In today’s reading from Genesis we see this continuing conversation (prayer) between God and Abraham.  We recall that God initiated the conversation by visiting Abraham earlier as we heard in last week’s reading from Genesis.  God visited Abraham for a number of reasons, one) that at this time next year Abraham and Sarah would have a son; two) to have fellowship with his friend; and three) to reveal to Abraham what God intended to do to Sodom and Gomorrah.  However, the main point of Abraham’s prayer to God was perseverance, i.e. Abraham wrestled with God in a sense and even challenged Him to spare the city because of fifty righteous people, getting all the way down to only ten.  In the end, however, the city is not spared and in the process Lot’s wife dies as she turns to a pillar of salt because she looked back (“He who looks back on the plow is not fit for the kingdom of God”).

The Gospel also tells us to persevere in prayer, Jesus says, “I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”  In this case the person received their prayer request, the loaves of bread he needed for his family.

All of our prayer is initiated by God then we respond with requests, petitions, praise, worship, silence – meditation, etc.  Today’s 1^st reading and Gospel spell out the importance of prayer – dialogue with God.

I’d like to look at God answering our prayers.  In Abraham’s case his intercession for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah did not come to pass, at least not fully, but rather only in a very partial way, since less than ten escaped the city’s fate.  In the Gospel, however, the prayer was not only heard, but answered in a very full way; the man received the loaves he continued to ask (pray) for.

All of us have prayed for many things, for ourselves, for others, etc.  I remember praying and asking for the intercession of Elizabeth Ann Seton and Pius X during my transition from religious life to diocesan life and that I wanted to remain a priest (rough period in my life where I actually thought about leaving the priesthood – this one is another homily, stayed tuned) and I stormed heaven with my prayers, like the man begging for the loaves of bread and like Abraham pleading for God not to destroy the city.  Well, obviously I am here so the prayer was answered, praised be to God and thank you to Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton and Pius X.

However, when my dad became ill with his heart condition, I stormed heaven with prayers again before his surgery and I kept reassuring my dad that everything would be ok, I had the honor and privilege to anoint him before his surgery.  My dad went in for bypass and valve surgery, he never made it off the operating table.  I wondered why God would take my father, did I not pray hard or long enough, did I read the signs incorrectly?  After much reflection in the first six months after his death I realized my prayers were answered and that my dad was really ok.  The answer was that it was time for my dad to receive the gifts God had prepared for him which was much better than remaining here with us, his race was finished and he ran that race very well.  In terms of me telling my dad, “don’t worry you will be ok” was also true, but not in the sense that I imagined at first, but that he was ok in heaven.

So, it’s not that all prayers are heard and only some answered, all prayers are both heard and answered, but do we accept the answer of the Almighty?  Abraham is our father in faith not just because he was a nice guy but rather that he accepted without question God’s will, i.e. leaving his own father’s house, believing he would have a son though he and Sarah were well beyond child bearing years, that he would obey God even when asked to do something beyond reason (sacrificing his only son) and that some would survive the destruction of the two cities.  I pray for faith like that, like that of Abraham, or Mary our Mother, and many of the Saints, for all of them truly believed, “ . . . that all things work for good for those who love God.”  The question is, “Do we?”