Luke 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, I, too, give you praise today. I praise you for all that you have done in creating the world, in sending your Son to redeem it, and in sending your Spirit to sanctify it and guide it to its final consummation. You are all holy, and I desire to share in your holiness and perfection.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus Rejoiced in the Spirit: The Gospel offers us a glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus, into Jesus’ communion with the Father, and how Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit. First, we can model our prayer on that of Jesus. Like Jesus, we too need to “rejoice in the Spirit.” As Benedict XVI taught, “Jesus rejoiced from the depths of his being, in what counted most: his unique communion of knowledge and love with the Father, the fullness of the Holy Spirit. By involving us in his sonship, Jesus invites us, too, to open ourselves to the light of the Holy Spirit, since – as the Apostle Paul affirms – ‘we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words … according to the will of God’ (Romans 8;26-27), and reveals the Father’s love to us” (Benedict XVI, December 7, 2011). Jesus begins his prayer by praising his Father and acknowledging his lordship over heaven and earth. His prayer begins with the full recognition of the Father’s action and his total and joyful agreement with this way of acting, with the Father’s plan. How can I better enter into prayer “in the Spirit”? How can I better begin my prayer by praising and thanking the Father for his actions and joining myself to this loving plan?

2. Revelation to the Child-like: Jesus prayerfully discerns how God is acting in the world, how the Father reveals divine mysteries to the humble and, at the same time, conceals them from the proud. And Jesus imitates the Father when he teaches. Jesus’ parables both reveal and conceal. They reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom to the humble, the meek and gentle of heart, and the merciful. They veil the same mystery from the proud, the arrogant, and the hypocritical. “Thus, in his prayer, Jesus manifests his communion with the Father’s decision to disclose his mysteries to the simple of heart: the Son’s will is one with the Father’s. Divine revelation is not brought about in accordance with earthly logic, which holds that cultured and powerful people possess important knowledge and pass it on to simpler people, to little ones” (Benedict XVI, December 7, 2011). God communicates to the child-like, to those united to his Son.

3. Seeing and Hearing: Jesus concludes his prayer by uniting himself to his Father’s gracious will. From the depths of his heart, rejoicing in the Spirit, Jesus exclaims, “Yes, Father!” He adheres to the Father’s “good pleasure.” He echoes his mother’s “Fiat” at the time of his conception. He anticipates what he will say to the Father in his agony. “The whole prayer of Jesus is contained in this loving adherence of his human heart to the ‘mystery of the will’ of his Father (Ephesians 1:9)” (Benedict XVI, December 7, 2011). The Father has sent his Son to reveal who he is, to save his people, and to show how much he loves us. When Jesus was alone with his disciples, he pronounced a blessing upon them and opened their eyes to see how he is the fulfillment of all things. Many a prophet, like Isaiah, and many a king, like David, desired to see the day of God’s Anointed One (Messiah), to experience the day of God’s salvation, and to hear God’s definitive Word. We, like Jesus’ disciples, have received all these blessings.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have revealed the depths of the Father’s love for us. Help me to see all things with the spiritual eyes of faith. Do not let me be discouraged when I fail through sin or see evil around me. I renew my trust in you that you will guide and protect me.

Living the Word of God: How can I imitate the prayer of Jesus today? How can my prayer be guided more by the Spirit? How can I unite my will to God’s will more perfectly? How is God asking me to collaborate with his grace? What sins do I need to ask forgiveness for? What infused virtues do I need most from God?