Do our prayers fall on deaf ears?

 

How often do we believe our prayers go unanswered or overlooked. We make heartfelt requests, but they seem to fall on silent ears. This is the situation presented by the Canaanite woman who makes an earnest prayer that her daughter may be released from the oppression of the devil. Yet Jesus seems not to hear her. The disciples even wanting to avoid a scene ask Jesus to provide what she is asking because she is making so much of a fuss.

When Jesus does give a response, he seems to focus solely on the people of Israel who are lost. Her plea only becomes more urgent when she falls at his feet and says help me. The response about throwing scraps at the house dog seems to be dismissive of her concerns. Yet still she pleads that even this small amount will help her.

What Jesus acknowledges is the faithful persistent of the Canaanite woman to seek out the good for her daughter. This can give hope to us too in bringing our lives before God. The emphasis here is that our prayer does not fall on deaf ears but seeks to provide healing and strength to those in greatest need. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others.

So how do we become people of prayer. This is central to the concern of Isaiah when he says that we need to become a people of integrity who care for justice. Much of this concern is shared in the latest social justice statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops that centres on social cohesion and the things that can drive us apart from each other. It notes that we need to be aware of the profound impact on individuals, families and communities. It reminds that behind the statistics are parents skipping meals, delaying medical care, housing insecurity and increasing anxiety for the future. The burden is often taken up by those who are most vulnerable those on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, first nations people, refugees, and workers on low paid or insecure employment. Central to the covenant that Isaiah speaks about is the need to recognise how we are formed in the image and likeness of God. We observe the sabbath and keep the covenant so that we can form a house of prayer for all people. This is not to isolate us from each other but a living concern for those who meet us in daily life.

The principles of the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor offer a moral framework for responding to the crisis. These principles call governments, businesses, communities and individuals to ensure that no one is left behind and that economic decisions serve people, not profit alone. Our Catholic agencies provide practical everyday assistance by providing emergency relief, housing assistance, financial advice and advocacy.

Practical actions are encouraged, including noticing those who may be struggling, offering practical help, volunteering, donating, engaging in advocacy for fair wages and affordable housing, and working collaboratively at local and national levels. Above all, the bishops invite us to become “prophets of hope” — people who respond to hardship with compassion, courage and faith.

As St Paul speaks to the Romans we seek to discover the reconciliation of the world from the dead. We are called to be people who are awake and aware of what the resurrection means. The resurrection of Jesus calls people from death into life. It is possible to become people who focus on the mercy of God. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. We become engaged with the living heart of our faith. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others. Just as the Canaanite woman brought her concerns before God for the good of another so can we through our own intercession and providing for the needs of another. To be people who engage our minds, hands and hearts in seeking what is good for another not just ourselves.