24th Week, Monday, Sept 18
1 Tim 2:1-8 / Lk 7:1-10
The British theologian C. S. Lewis points out that God doesn’t need doctors to heal people. God could heal them directly if he wished. But God decided otherwise. He decided to make doctors and medicine the normal instruments of healing. Likewise, God doesn’t need prayer to make government leaders act responsibly. God could do this directly if he wished. But God decided otherwise. He decided to give us the power of prayer to influence government leaders. Paul’s remarks about prayer remind us that we must use our power of prayer to influence government leaders. If we don’t, God will hold us responsible for our failure.
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How faithful are we in praying for governments and their leaders? “Prayer is the highest energy of which the mind is capable.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Paul urges Christians through Timothy to be mediators by our supplications, prayers and intercessions for all of humankind. The basis is that Christ is the one mediator between God and humanity and God wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. How universal God’s plan and will to save!
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Paul prays “for sovereigns and all in high office". He prays for the political powers and those in the administration. They have to create that atmosphere where the church can flourish. Religion requires peace and tranquillity to grow and prosper. The mind should not be distracted by thoughts of anxiety and apprehension. The minds of all should be free for God. Both Christians and pagans. God created them all, he redeemed them all. He wants that all men come to the knowledge of his truth and find Salvation. A true missionary loves all people and wants their best, he is a universalist just as Christ is for all. There is only one God. There is no God of the Christians, and a God of the Jews and a God for the pagans. There is only one Creator and he is the Creator of all that exists, of all mankind. And there is only one Christ, the Mediator between God and man. He died for all and he loves them all. In this plan of God, Paul has his place as the preacher and teacher of God’s truth. We too have to pray for this.
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At times we can't help but feel amused when we think about why God would want to use human beings to do His work for Him. For example, God doesn't need doctors to cure people. He could do this directly if He wanted to. Yet God decided that scientists who discover medicine and doctors who use the medicine to be the ordinary instruments of healing. Similarly, God does not need our prayer to make governments and leaders to act responsibly and justly. He could do this directly Himself. Yet, as we heard in the 1st reading, He gave us the responsibility to pray for our government and leaders. But whether it is governments or leaders, citizens or followers, all have a responsibility when it comes to authority.
Even in the Church, the clergy has the responsibility to exercise proper authority especially in matters of faith and morality, and the laypeople have the responsibility to obey the church authorities as well as to pray for those in authority to exercise it in humility and service.
Even the centurion in the gospel knows what is authority and responsibility. Yet he was humble enough to recognize the higher authority of Jesus and pleaded on his servant's behalf. If the centurion had that kind of faith and responsibility, then we the disciples of Jesus cannot be anything less. We must pray for those in authority, that they will use it in service and humility.
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Today we have the beautiful scene of the Roman centurion asking Jesus through emissaries to heal his slave. He loved the Jewish people and had faith in Jesus because of what he had heard about Jesus. Another sign of faith, something unusual in a world of slavery, seems to be that he begged for the healing of a slave. We hear him also say the words we use in the eucharistic celebration, that he is not worthy of Jesus coming to his house.
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Prayer
Lord God, Father of all, you call people from every language, culture and nation to worship you and to live in your love. Let your Son Jesus Christ speak among us your saving word that brings healing to all. May many accept his invitation to sit with us at his table. Give us enough faith and love that we, too, like you and your son, may turn strangers into friends. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
