Pope: True prayer requires faith, perseverance and courage

Source: Vatican News

During Mass on Monday morning at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis prayed for families facing financial difficulties due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and said prayer requires faith, perseverance and courage.

During his homily, he spoke of the faith, perseverance and courage needed to pray well.

Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel of the healing of the court official's son in Cana in Galilee (John 4:43-54). After asking Jesus to cure his son, "the Lord reproves him a bit - everyone - but him as well…. Instead of staying silent, the functionary continues, saying 'Lord, come down before my child dies' ." He then receives the assurance from the Lord that his child would live, the Pope said.

Faith is the first requirement for "true prayer," Pope Francis said. "Many times prayer is only oral from the mouth…but it doesn't come from the faith in the heart, or it's a weak faith."

The Pope then gave another example of the father whose child was possessed who asked the Lord to increase his faith, after Jesus tells him that everything is possible to those who have faith (Mark 9:23) .

"Faith and prayer; to pray with faith…. I pray either with faith or out of habit. Let's be attentive when we pray not to fall into routine, without the awareness that the Lord is here, that I'm speaking with the Lord and He is able to resolve problems."

The second requirement, the Pope said, is perseverance. Jesus himself teaches us this, he said. "Some people ask and then the grace doesn't come. They don't have this perseverance because deep down they don't need it or they don't have faith."

He then cited the parables in which Jesus teaches us perseverance: the person who woke up his neighbour in the middle of the night for bread, and the widow before the unjust judge.

"Faith and perseverance go together because if you have faith you're sure that the Lord will give you what you are asking. If the Lord makes you wait, knock and knock and knock. In the end the Lord gives the grace."

If the Lord makes us wait, the Pope said, He does so "for our good." "He takes prayer seriously," Pope Francis said.

God wants us to pray courageously. This is the third requirement, the Pope said.

" 'Is courage necessary to pray?' someone might think. To remain before the Lord: yes, it's necessary. It's almost, almost, I don't want to say a heresy, but almost as if we're threatening the Lord. Moses' courage before God when God wanted to destroy the people…. Abraham's courage when he negotiates the salvation of Sodom. 'What if there are 30? What if there are 20?' Courage. This virtue of courage is very much needed, not only for apostolic works, but also for prayer."

The Pope then concluded his homily reflecting on what we are all experiencing in these days.

"Faith, perseverance and courage. In these days, it's necessary to pray more. Imagine if we were to pray like this. With faith - that the Lord can intervene; with perseverance and with courage. The Lord never deludes. He makes us wait. He takes His time. But he never deludes. Faith, perseverance and courage."

Watch the Mass HERE

Throughout the Coronavirus crisis, Pope Francis has cancelled public appearances, but instead his Morning Masses at Casa Santa Marta are being livestreamed, especially for those who are sick and those caring for them. Recordings are also being posted up by Vatican Media so people around the world can see them later.