HUGS AND KISSES

Saturday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 18:1-8

Children have a way of getting what they want from their elders. Children have their antics to lure their elders into giving in to what they solicit from them. Some children suddenly stage a spontaneous sing and dance concert. Others suddenly become overly zealous to accomplish what their elders order them to do. Still others pamper their elders with tight hugs and warm kisses, saying, “I love you.” Not that they do not mean what they say and do, but children seem to be more expressive of their love for their elders when they need something from them. My own little adopted boy, Pipo, is not an exemption to this rule. He showers me with expressions of his filial affection when he wants something for me and I am playing “hard-to-get”.

God does not play “hard-to-get” when we need something from Him. He is an ever-solicitous father to us. He does not only know what we need even before we ask it from Him, He is also always willing to give it to us, if it will be for our good.

Prayer does not change God. Prayer rather changes us. God is not an unjust judge before we pray then suddenly becomes a merciful father after we pray.

Prayer makes us grow into the knowledge that we are God’s children, that there is nothing we should be shy to confide to God, that there is nothing we cannot request from Him, save anything evil. Prayer opens our minds with the idea of a Father-God even before it opens our lips with a plea to a God who is our Father.

Prayer makes us grow into the attitude of God’s children. God wants us to ask from Him what we need even though He already knows what we need even before we ask Him because He wants to develop in us filial attitude toward Him. Even our parents, even we before we tell them, somehow know what we need; but they, at times, wait for us to speak to them about it. In that way, we learn what it means to be their children.

Prayer makes us grow into our choice of God. When we approach God during difficult times and present our needs to Him, we affirm our fundamental choice: God. We choose God, not any other. We choose God alone, not among many others. We choose God; and the more we pray – for whatever reason we have – the more we affirm that fundamental choice.

In the parable today, it is the unjust judge that was changed by the persistence of the widow. In real life, it is we, not God, who are changed by our fervent prayer.

As we grow more mature in the faith, we realize that we do not need to play our tricks or antics on God to get what we want from Him. We simply hug Him tightly and kiss Him softly… And that in itself is a beautiful prayer.