The keys to the kingdom

Bible verse:
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16: 13-19)

Inspiration:
The Gospels can introduce to the historical Jesus, but it is only through prayer that we come to know Him as our personal Savior. It was only though his close, personal relationship with Jesus that Peter was able to know Him as the Messiah.

But developing a close, personal relationship with Jesus is not easy. Prayer requires time. It requires space. It requires discipline. We all recognize that we need a certain amount of silence and solitude – an inner sanctum – in which to pray, but it is hard to find a place in our busy lives for Jesus. Why is that?

Henri Nouwen once said that if we think of prayer as speaking with God, we soon realize that we are doing all the talking and tire of hearing our own voice. If we consider prayer as thinking about God, we soon become fatigued by the mental effort. When prayer becomes difficult, Nouwen said we should pray from the heart in short, simple words from scripture.

Saint John Climacus put it this way:

“When you pray, do not try to express yourself in fancy words, for often it is the simple, repetitious phrases of a little child that our Father in heaven finds most irresistible. Do not strive for verbosity lest your mind be distracted from devotion by a search for words.”

One phrase on the lips of the tax collector was enough to win God’s mercy. One humble request from a contrite heart was enough to save the good thief. One simple profession of faith was all it took for Peter to be entrusted with the keys of the kingdom.

The essence of prayer is detachment. It’s letting go and letting God. If you can’t think of what to say, let Him do the talking.

See also related reflections: "Who Do People Say You Are?"

                                            "Your Spiritual Identity"  

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.