5th Sunday Year B - Homily 6

Homily 6 - 2024

We are still in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. Mark is introducing his readers to the different elements that made up the public life of Jesus. Today we are alerted to the indispensable importance of prayer in the public ministry of Jesus: “In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.”

Does that surprise us as perhaps unnecessary? or would we be surprised if he didn’t deliberately connect with his Father? Our attitude might depend on whether we tend to focus automatically more on the divine or the human nature of Jesus. Perhaps some of us even tend to consider Jesus as a kind of hybrid — quite different from ourselves; not as St Paul insisted: “like us in all things but sin”.

Jesus obviously saw prayer-contact with his Father as important. I think that it is important for us all. Last week, with the help of Google, I came across a quotation from St. Francis de Sales. He wrote: “Every Christian needs a half-hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy. Then he needs an hour.” [Excuse the exclusive language: he was a product of his time.]

A half-hour a day can sound a bit regimented — and perhaps it is. But our relationship with Jesus, or with God our Father [his Father], is somewhat unique. We can’t see Jesus. We can’t hear Jesus. Basically, our relationship is based on faith. But, in some ways, all decent relationships are based on faith. We can’t turn on our feelings at will — and words are only words. Ultimately we have to believe our partner.

I believe that Jesus is in me, and that I am in him [as we read in the Gospel of John]. It all flows more or less from there.

Christians like us have been praying for centuries — and many learnt a few helpful skills in the process. A fair number of them wrote about various ways of praying. It is fascinating. St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, wrote some very helpful things. St Teresa of Avila also, St Francis de Sales [whom I mentioned earlier] … closer to our own day, St Therese of Lisieux. A number of more or less contemporary authors have applied much of this wisdom to praying in our time.

Personally, I have been fortunate to have read a fair bit of the current literature. Better still, over the years I have been blessed to have had access to a few very helpful, understanding mentors [or Spiritual Directors]. Time spent alone with God has become a cherished feature of my life.

When I was first ordained, I used to be chaplain to a number of young leaders in what was called then the “Young Christian Workers” Movement. Most of us younger priests were YCW chaplains, in those days. The Movement was based on a wonderful, practical, personally formative method that encouraged the leaders to be alert to their world, to bring the light of the Gospel to bear upon it, and to decide how they might introduce a bit more justice to our world, and a bit more respect and even love. In the process, so many of them developed a real, personal relationship to Jesus.

Then we seem to have become distracted, or the culture changed — or both. A few other things have happened over the years: Marriage Encounter, the Charismatic Renewal, Teams of Our Lady … that also did much to help the ordinary parishioner to get to know and to love Jesus more intimately.

But, as I said, we got too distracted — both priests and laity. As I look towards the future, I wonder… I hope … I pray that a prophet will turn up who can revitalise the Church once more…