[stephenkhoo]

Monday, 20 February, 2012, 7th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2
SEEKING DIVINE WISDOM THROUGH PRAYER AND FASTING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: JAS 3:13-18; MK 9:14-29

All of us can easily identify with the apostles, Peter, James, and John. They were still in a euphoric state after witnessing the presence of God in Jesus’ Transfiguration when they were brought down to earth - their fellow disciples could not cast out an evil spirit and so the problem was brought to Jesus. Very often, after spending much time in prayer, meditation, and worship at a retreat and still feeling spiritually high, we too are made to face the realities of life at home, at work and in Church. We would have to encounter the daily difficulties of life, sometimes as early as our waking moments. A family member could disagree with us over something, or someone could have said the wrong word, and our whole morning would start on the wrong footing.

Indeed, this is the question that is raised in this morning’s liturgy. How do we deal with life’s problems? How do we reconcile faith and life? Often, we seem to have a clear dichotomy between our prayer and daily lives. What we pray is not how we live. We almost instantaneously forget what we prayed and we act as if we have learnt nothing at all in the time we spent at prayer and worship. Do we deal with the problems and difficulties of each day with prayer and apply the fruits of our meditation? Isn’t this the purpose of prayer and relationship with God, not an escape from the world but the way to seek God’s wisdom to think like Him, His love to feel like Him and His power to act like Him?

Indeed, St James in the first reading helps us to distinguish a wise man from a foolish man. A man without wisdom attempts to solve his problems using worldly logic and solutions. This was certainly the case for the disciples. We are told that they were arguing with the scribes over their inability to exorcise the evil spirit from the boy. They did not rely on the power of God but trusted in themselves. They failed to realize that they were not just dealing with the world of nature but also with the world of spirits. A man of the world can only use reason to understand his problems. More often than not, this is, as St James pointed out, motivated by ambition and jealousy. A worldly and foolish man is not pure in his motives. He seeks to protect his self-interests, even to the extent of cheating and lying. Such “principles of this kind are not the wisdom that comes down from above: they are only earthly, animal and devilish.”

When we act in this manner, then we are just like the boy who was possessed by a dumb spirit. Acting in such a foolish and dumb manner will only cause us more misery. By being self-centered and shortsighted, we will bring disharmony to those who live and work with us. This is what James warns us as well, “Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done.” When we think of the misunderstandings we have with others, or disagreement, more often than not, our motives do not spring from love but from fear, ambition and jealousy. If we are free from self-centered motives, we would not have to be defensive, and desire to win and have things our way, since all we want is purely for the good of others.

Conversely, a wise man is an enlightened man. He sees deeply and not in a superficial manner. He looks at the origin of things and the end, not just what is apparent. He searches his motives for what he is doing. He is a man of foresight, looking beyond his needs, his immediate problems and placing them within perspective. Such a person lives an enlightened life because he lives deeply on the essentials. For this reason, he keeps himself humble, ever ready to learn. St James says, “the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.” A life of wisdom therefore brings true peace, unity and love.

But how can we acquire this life of wisdom? In the gospel, we are reminded that it is only possible through prayer and fasting. As Jesus said, “This is the kind that can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.” Regardless of whether these were the very words of Jesus, it certainly expresses the mind of the early Church. It must have been their experience that without prayer and fasting, they could not effectively carry out the ministry. In our daily lives, in ministry and at work, it is important that we bring our plans and decision to the Lord to seek for His guidance and blessings if we want to do well. This should be the case, especially when there is an important project or an important decision to make. For many Catholics, they forget all about Him and do not feel the need to consciously bring God into their family and working lives the moment they step into the secular world.

Prayer is vital in our relationship with God. Instead of relying on our human wisdom, we are called to trust in His power and greatness. Only in prayer can the Lord enlighten us in the truth, about ourselves and those whom we are ministering too. Without a relationship with God, we cannot walk in the Spirit and be inspired by the Lord to look at life not at its superficial level but from its ultimate reality. But prayer alone is not sufficient. Besides prayer, our sincerity in showing our total dependence on the Lord is through fasting. Fasting will bolster effective prayer. This is true not only in Christian tradition. All religions, be it Buddhism, Islam or Hinduism, teach the importance of fasting. When Our Lady appeared in her many apparitions, she always insisted on the need to fast. Today’s invitation to combine our prayer with fasting is an appropriate prelude to the season of Lent.

Unfortunately, today, in this hedonistic age when pleasure becomes the goal of many people, fasting is not popular. Somehow we must admit that we have been influenced by the world. Hence, it is important that we rediscover the power of fasting and prayer. Of course, fasting is not meant to arm-twist God or to please Him. It is a means to give us a disposition for prayer. Through fasting, our hearts yearn for God as we suffer physical hunger. Most of all, we learn to rely on Him, and Him alone. Fasting is a means to lead us to a total dependence on God and help us to realize our insufficiency. For this reason, fasting increases our faith in God and makes our prayer more effective.

But most of all, we are invited to have an expectant faith through prayer. St Augustine tells us that when faith languishes, prayer perishes. It is faith that gives power to prayer. Without faith, we cannot expect God to answer our prayer. Because we lack faith, we are quite skeptical of those who place their confidence in God’s power and grace. Only faith can move the heart of God.

For this reason, like the father who cried, “I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!” we, too, must pray for an increase of faith. Since faith is a gift from God, we must pray for it. Hence, prayer, fasting and faith belong together and by linking all these three elements of prayer, we will certainly not respond with diffident faith in God. Indeed, to say to God like the father of the possessed boy, “But if you can do anything …” is an insult to God. Hence, Jesus immediately retorted by saying, “’If you can? … Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.” Yes, let us pray with both an expectant faith and a faith that leads us to walk in wisdom like the psalmist.