What is the value or place of "chain-prayers" ?
An answer based on the Person and teaching of JESUS in the
Bible.
CHRISTMAS REVEALS TO US OUR FATHER
Christmas 2002
Just as Christmas is approaching I am asked by a friend for a
correct understanding of what are called
"chain-prayers".
I see
CHRISTMAS as the beginning of a real
CHAIN OF
LOVE.
" God so loved the world that He gave His only Son?"
( Jn 3/16)
?
"His only Son" ? so
God is FATHER !!!
?
"God gave His Son" because HE "loved"?
? so a
CHAIN OF LOVE, created by LOVE !!! :
? initiated by GOD who is LOVE and
? out of LOVE for us sinful human beings !!!
? binding heaven to earth by incarnating God in the human race,
binding humans to God as real children to their loving FATHER,
binding ALL humans among themselves as real sisters and
brothers,
ALL humans of every race, nation, colour and creed
!!!
GOD is FATHER !
How could we ever know God since we do not see Him? How could
we fathom the depths of His Heart? So how could we pray to Him as we
should?
Only He, the Only Son of God, could, for He ever abides close to
the FATHER?s Heart
(Jn 1/18)
JESUS
was born to reveal to us this
God : His own ABBA, with
whom He has such an intimate, unfathomable, filial relationship !
"My God?My Abba ?
your God?your Abba!"
(Jn 20/17 )
Surely, JESUS does not give us a "lecture" on God as our
FATHER, not even simply on God. Nor, therefore, a "lecture" on prayer.
JESUS
draws us all into a new, very
personal relationship with this God, His own dear ABBA. He puts into us His own
HOLY SPIRIT and thus introduces us with Himself into the intimacy of this His
ABBA, into ABBA?s Heart, right from this earth (Rm 8/14-15). He
brings us sinners back to the embrace of a God whose love is unconditional,
tender as a MOTHER?s, and whose mercy is boundless.
One glorious day He will take us with Himself to share our
FATHER?s own infinite happiness, and that for ever: that will be the climax of
the salvation the Babe of Bethlehem brings us (1 Jn 3/1-3; Rom 8/14-17; Gal
4/4-7).
In this
new relationship of divine intimacy, how are we to pray to
our FATHER? what are the conditions required for prayer? Vitally important are only two:
- faith-prompted absolute trust in this our FATHER,
in His provident and merciful love, and
2. a loving obedience and surrender to His
will!
No place for babbling in prayer!
(Mt
6/7)
No place for the so-called "efficacious" chain-prayers!
Absolutely none!
JESUS draws us into His own prayer to His
ABBA (Lk 11/1-2): let us relish intimately this Reality.
JESUS
teaches us that beautiful prayer which encloses ALL :
the
"OUR FATHER".
I wish we never recite it mechanically but savouring it word by
word, beginning with the very first one:
"?ABBA?FATHER?" !
And He has given us this assurance: our FATHER knows all our
needs even before we can express them to Him (Mt 6/9) and He who so
lovingly cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, has much
greater concern for us, His children (Mt 6/25-34). No worry, then, no
preoccupation whatsoever! How can this FATHER, so good and so loving, ever fail
to give us all that we need in order to live and grow as His true children and
heirs of His Kingdom (Mt 7/7-11)?
Have we grasped,
"digested", this Gospel
truth? Has this
fundamental message of JESUS for us become blood running through our veins?
If so, what shall we say of that manner of praying which makes
the "fruit" of our request depend on a mere recitation of definite words?
on such and such a fixed time and place for obtaining what we desire? on such
and such a condition (like that one of sending the so-called "prayer" without
breaking the chain to so many other persons???
Lower down we shall see what we in fact break if we
"don?t break this chain".
To attribute the efficacy of our prayer to conditions or
circumstances laid by us humans, to the mechanical and exact fulfillment of
these conditions etc, becomes a real
superstition. It does make of prayer a magician?s
trick! We make infinite God dependent on His creatures and on their whims
and fancies! We dare to dictate to Him our conditions! In such a case are we not
making ourselves "gods and goddesses", with supreme mastery over events?
There is not in such a "prayer" any real dependence on God!
And even though addressed to God, there is
not in it the least sign of authentic faith in God, in our FATHER, or in
JESUS, our Brother and Saviour, our Way to the FATHER !
The "faith" that is being promoted and demanded is
submission to the meticulous observance of those conditions created and
prescribed by creatures. And such conditions only
generate fear: What will happen to me or my dear ones
if I do not fulfill them? What misfortune will befall me? Those threats
mentioned sometimes in the "introduction" may come about, after all!?
By accepting such "
chain-prayers" we are following a path of prayer
which is fully opposed to the Gospel of
JESUS! Can?t we see this is a very serious fault in one who claims to be a
Christian, disciple of JESUS, daughter or son of God?
All this
breaks, destroys, the basic truth of the Gospel of JESUS! It
breaks, destroys the
fundamental relationship of God?s children with their FATHER!
It is a real dishonour and grave offense to this
FATHER!
Do the promoters and followers of such "chain-prayers" realise
this?
* * *
Speak to our dear FATHER about our needs ?
Certainly, with childlike simplicity - with or
without words.
Ask Him solutions to apparently insoluble problems? Or even
miracles?
Certainly, but with faith and full filial trust
if we sincerely feel that our desire
is in accordance with His will for us.
If so, we shall beforehand accept with full filial
submission whatever He gives us. Even with gratitude, for we are
absolutely sure that what our all-loving FATHER gives is the best He can
give for our own good (Phil 4/60).
Since He so loved us that He did not hesitate to send His only
Son to us, not to condemn us sinners but to give us Life (Jn 3/16-17; 1 Jn
4/9-10), should we not say that His infinite wisdom, love and power are at
the service of His beloved children? He will perform even a miracle in our
favour if such is, in fact, for our good (Rom 8/31-32).
But we must know to wait for His hour and for His
manner of stepping in (Lk 18/1-8; 1 Pet 3/8-9).
At the same time, while we address to Him our request, we must
not fail to do what He, our FATHER, asks of us, especially through JESUS
and His Gospel. Among these
divine demands
I single out one: love of our neighbour and full
reconciliation with one and all
(Read here the rich and beautiful
First Letter
of John - especially
1 Jn 2/3-11; 4/7-16 - which paraphrases the
Gospel:
Jn 13/34-35; 15/9-14, 17).
* * *
"The FATHER loves
you" - is the assurance JESUS has given us (Jn
16/27).
And He gave us another important direction for when we address
our request to the FATHER: "To ask in the name
of JESUS".
What does this mean?
It is not just mentioning the name of JESUS (as is done for
instance in the "prayer" you sent me titled "God is moved", and in so many
others that come now also via the Internet). Such "prayers" contradict what
JESUS has taught us.
What does it mean, then: "To ask in the name of JESUS" ?
It is to ask in intimate union of faith and love with the
Beloved Son, fusioned with Him, so to say immersed in Him who knows fully the
FATHER?s Heart (Jn 14/12-13;15/ 7,16).
"In truth I tell you: the FATHER will grant you whatever you
ask in My name."
(Jn 16/23). For JESUS knows
that the FATHER always hears Him
(Jn 11/42). And the Beloved Disciple
tells us also:
"If we ask anything in
accordance with His will He hears us" (us
too!) (1 Jn 5/14-15).
Before such an
authentic
filial prayer (made with or without words) truly "God is moved", the Heart of our FATHER is
moved, as JESUS showed in the miracles He performed
in answer to such faith-filled requests.
Mary, the Virgin-Mother of whom JESUS was born for us, is our own loving Mother too. She was a woman of faith, of filial
trust, of filial surrender to the FATHER?s will. May she take us this
Christmas to acknowledge
in Her Son the true Revealer of the FATHER
and of His Heart, the true
Chain binding us to our dear loving ABBA!
Such is the blessed Christmas and New Year 2003 I wish to all
those whom this message may reach.
Brother and friend of one and all,
Vasco do Rego s.j.
