Jesus at Prayer

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Today’s Gospel passage tells us that “Jesus spent the night in prayer to God.” I’ve often wondered what that must have been like, and so what I reflect on today is purely speculative for the most part, and I invite you to do the same as well—to just spend some time imagining or “picturing” that scene.

--Whenever I set my mind on it, a sense of calm comes over me and at the same time arises from within me, and so this is a wonderful place to begin a time of prayer. Even as I type these words, that calmness is with me, and I hope you can sense it as well.

--I imagine it was prayer without words. I know that when Jesus actually did speak words to the Father, or the Father to Him, it was recorded for us in the Gospels and was always for our own benefit. But when Jesus was lost in prayer to the Father alone, I think it was wordless, for they could communicate to one another simply by being present to one another. Even the word “communicate” is insufficient to describe what was taking place; it was, and is, simply too far beyond us for us to describe it in merely human language.

--I imagine is was simply a time of being. Aliveness and presence, union and overflowing love, and since that love would be so strong, the Holy Spirit was also present. This scene is Trinitarian, in the fullest sense of the word. (And where the Trinity is present, so are we as well. See Richard Rohr’s book “The Divine Dance” for more about this.)

--I wonder about time, or rather about timelessness. Were they residing in what was, what is, and what will be, all at once? I’ve mentioned in other reflections that time is not linear, but rather that it folds in on itself, and this would certainly be “timeless,” so to speak. Once again I am aware that human language is so inadequate to describe what was taking place that night when He was lost in prayer.

--When I was younger, I used to think that Jesus was asking His Father about whom He would select to be an apostle, but I don’t think that way any more. I know from personal experience that when I’ve had to make decisions or approach a problem and I spent time in meditative prayer beforehand, the answers I sought would simply manifest themselves at the proper time without my having to do much to think about what I was going to do. And now I imagine the same thing happening: Jesus spent the night in prayer to the Father, and after that time was over, He simply acted. Try it yourself. Don’t think about a problem or even speculate about it in prayer; simply rest in contemplative peace and the answers will come when you need them to.

--Sometimes when I consider Jesus praying to the Father, I go back to John 17, where we have the most explicit example of the content and substance of His prayer as both human and divine. I encourage you to do the same this day.

Finally, I must say what an extraordinary gift it is to be drawn to focus on these issues, bringing both joy and peace to an extent far greater than any worldly matter or consideration can afford us. I hope that you may perhaps experience the same gift yourself.

God bless you!