Good morning, good people,
May the Lord give you peace and blessings in the Holy Spirit. It is 8th October 2025.
We reflect on Jonah 4:1–11 and the Gospel of Luke 11:1–4.
Are we just reciting or reflecting in prayer?
St. Teresa of Calcutta motivates us: “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
Prayer trains our minds to accept the way God treats people—and us. At times, we wonder why God is so silent, generous, forgiving, lenient, slow to anger, and rich in mercy toward those whom we see differently. If everything we needed in life could be achieved by our personal efforts alone, humanity would forget God for good. Love, peace, and compassion are the gifts we all carry within us, yet we need the right mindset, strong belief, and people around us to express them.
Prayer has two assignments. God’s goodness in listening to our prayers and granting our desires is the first. The other is our part—to forgive others. The moment we address God as “Father,” we have the bounden duty to treat others as our brothers and sisters.
Have we ever been angry with God for showing mercy and compassion to those with whom we have issues? “For I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” (Jonah 4:2). Jonah was angry with God for overturning the prophecy against the people of Nineveh and showing mercy to them—yet they repented and changed their ways. The responsorial psalm praises, “Lord, you are tender and full of love.” (Psalm 86:15).
Let us learn to convert moments of confusion and frustration into a dialogue with God in prayer. However disappointing and depressing our situations may be, we can find answers in the silence and edges of our moments with God—where He heals the wounds of loving and trusting. Whatever our sinful situations, past or present, God listens to our prayers, heals our wounds, and grants us the grace to live a life pleasing to Him.
Reciting prayers alone does not help us regain the strength we lose through selfishness and sinfulness. How many times do we recite the Lord’s Prayer like little children, yet still feel left out, underfed, holding on to grudges and hurts—without truly praising or praying enough? When we begin to behave and treat others as a loving and forgiving Father would, we have found the meaning and measure of prayer.
Prayer is the recognition of God’s presence in every moment of life, acknowledging Him through our love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness toward those in need—from family to friends and strangers. It is the realization that we have encountered Jesus, the Son of God, who allows us to experience the merciful Father through a loving relationship with God and one another.
Let us move from the recitation to the reflection of the Lord’s Prayer—responding to the needs of others just as we want God to respond to our humble prayers. May we improve the quality of our prayer in the light of the Word of God and with hearts full of forgiveness.
God bless you.