Our Betrothal To Christ

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 11th Week of Ordinary Time,  Year 1, 2021
Texts: 2 Cor.11:1-11; Ps. 111:1b-4.7-8; Mtt. 6:7-15
St. Paul reminds us today that we are betrothed to Jesus Christ. He says, "I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband." To be betrothed is to enter into a relationship that leads to marriage, mutual self-giving. In this world we are betrothed to Jesus, preserving ourselves in purity that we may enter into union with Him in heaven. Our marriage banquet is in heaven; it is meant for those who put on the garment of purity. To be pure is to be unmixed, uncontaminated, clean, chaste and simple.
Betrothal is marked by devotion to the betrothed. Hence, our betrothal to Jesus is shown in our devotion to Him. Purity is attained by our devotion to Him. St. Paul, today, is concerned about our tendency to stray from sincere and pure devotion to Jesus. The tendency arises from the false teachings flying around. This means we have to be mindful of the teachings we listen to outside the Church and the philosophies we embrace. Such teachings and philosophies could lead us away from Jesus Christ and yet unknown to us that we are far away from Him.
St. Paul tells us that he shows the truth of his teaching by his ways of life. In his word: _"Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel without cost to you? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way."_ In a world that there are so many teachings we have to show the truth of our teaching by our ways of life. The greatest way to evangelize these days is by our ways of life.
Jesus, in today's gospel reading, teaches us about the art of prayer. He teaches us that the efficacy of prayer is not in words but in the meaning and content of the prayer. The content of the prayer must be aligned with the will of God. Hence, He says, _"In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."_ God knows our needs and He will only give us what He knows we need. To ask what is not our needs according to the knowledge of God, it is a sign that we are not at one with Him; we have gone astray. Hence, our prayer could show whether we have gone astray from God or not. Whenever we ask in prayer what is not our needs according to the knowledge of God, such prayer remains ineffective and unanswered. The effectiveness of prayer consists in asking what our needs are according to the knowledge of God and praying rightly.
Jesus goes further to teach us what the content of our prayer should be, what our needs are according to the knowledge of God. First of all, we have to recognise God as our Father. St. Cyprian, in his treatise on the Lord's Prayer, says, _"And so, beloved brethren, we should know and remember that when we call God our Father, we must behave as children of God, so that whatever pleasure we take in having God for our Father, he may take the same pleasure in us."_(Universalis, Tuesday Office of the Reading). That our Father is in heaven calls us to raise our hearts to heaven and live a heavenly life. Hence, He says, _"hallowed be thy name."_ St. Cyprian says, _"After this we say Hallowed be thy name. This is not because we want God to be made holy by our prayers: what we are asking God is that his name should be hallowed within us."_ Jesus asks us  to pray that we may reign with Him and able to manifest His will on earth as it is in heaven. We are also to ask for our daily bread, forgiveness of our sins, victory over temptation and deliverance from the power of the evil ones. He concludes by emphasising that we have to forgive those who offend us if we are to receive forgiveness from God.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for opening our eyes to the truth by Your teaching, help us not to go astray from You that we may be faithful to Your teaching. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke