Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Praying In Jesus’ Name - God’s Will
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
When we pray, what do we want God to do? Do we want to transform God with our prayers and bend him to do our own will, or do we seek his will? Do we have time in the dialogue of prayer to listen to him? Do we realise that he speaks to us in his word, in Christ, in the gospel? And that he speaks to us in our personal history, the events of life, people around us? If we pray in the name of Christ, it should be with Christ’s attitude of openness to God and his will.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
When we pray to you
In the name of Jesus, your Son,
Give us also the attitude of Jesus.
May we not seek ourselves in prayer
nor try to force you to do our will
so that we can enjoy our self-made islands of peace.
Make us restless to seek your will
and to commit ourselves into your hands,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit
forever and ever.
First Reading
After spending some time there, he left and traveled through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples.
Apollos in Ephesus
A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived at Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and an expert on the Scriptures,
and he had some knowledge of the way of the Lord. With great enthusiasm, he preached and taught accurately about Jesus, even though he knew only of John’s baptism.
As he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him;
so they took him home with them and explained to him the way more clearly.
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.
When he arrived, he significantly strengthened those who, by God’s grace, had become believers,
for he vigorously refuted the Jews, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands;
shout to God with cries of gladness.
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For God’s are the guardians of the earth;
he is supreme.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I came from the Father and have come into the world;
now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When that day comes, you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
So far, you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
I have taught you all these things indirectly, but the time is coming when I will no longer teach in figures; instead, I will speak plainly about the Father.
When that day comes, you will ask in my name, and I won’t need to ask the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you, since you have loved me and believe that I came from God.
I came from the Father and entered into the world; again, I am now leaving the world and going back to the Father.
Prayers of the Faithful
– When we see so much injustice, abuse of power, lack of love in our world and even in the Church, let your Spirit keep us from discouragement, we pray:
– When there are many men and women who expect from us encouragement and hope, may the Spirit make us speak uplifting words, we pray:
– When our communities are lax and divided, may the Spirit unite us and restore our fervor and joy, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
at times we get tired of praying
perhaps because it reminds us
that we are not self-sufficient.
Help us to ask you
not so much to give us the things
that we may think we need
but to teach us to give ourselves
to you and to others,
as Jesus did and still does now to us,
He who is our Lord forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
There are times when prayer comes easily
and when we can open our hearts to you.
This may be very helpful to us,
But help us also to make time for you
When praying is not easy,
that we may listen to you when you speak to us
in your word and in people,
and in the events of life
that spell your loving will to us,
but make us listen especially to your Son,
Your living word here among us,
Jesus Christ, our Lord forever.
Blessing
We are sure that God loves us and that he will give us anything good we need and ask in the name of Jesus. May God give you that certainty of faith and bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Jn 16:23-28
In My Name…
Today, Jesus makes a solemn promise that whatever his disciples ask the Father in Jesus’ name will be given to them. What does “in my name” mean? “Jesus left the door open as he moved to his Father. Not because he forgot to close it, but because he is the door to the Father. He is our mediator, and so he says: “In my name.”
In our prayers, let us ask the Father in Jesus’ name: “Father, look at your Son and do this for me!” Until the ascension, Jesus was still with them, so the disciples have not been praying through Jesus to God the Father. But now, it will become the normal way for the Church to pray to the Father. We conclude all our prayers in the liturgy by saying, “We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.”
But it is also true that despite our prayers, we receive no answers! Sometimes we ask for good health for a loved one, blessings in the life of a neighbour, a friend or a family member. We pray with all our strength and with all our faith because we feel absolutely helpless, and from the bottom of our hearts, we pray: “Lord, help us / help me”.
But our experience tells us that many times, our prayers seem unanswered. Despite our faith-filled prayers, nothing happened! Is it because God does not listen to our prayers? In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises that he himself will ask the Father for us and that we will receive an answer … But still, our prayers remain unanswered!
Here we enter the realms of faith and trust. We believe we are in the loving hands of our good Father. Despite our pain, physical limitations, and illnesses, God still loves us, in a strange way. “The Father already loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
Our Father already knows all our needs and wants to satisfy them with his love. When we are united in love and faith with the Father, He provides us with what is best for us. Our prayer through Jesus is not to tell God something he does not know already. Rather, it is to help ourselves become better aware of our real needs and to go to Him, who provides us with all our needs.