Lord let my prayer rise like incense…

Homily on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Hebrews 6: 13-20; Mark 9: 17-31.

During this time of Great Lent, we are called to look at ourselves and see how we can become more like our Lord and Saviour. It is a time when we are called to examine our lives and try to do better. Of course, being human, we will not be perfect, but through the grace of God, we can aim to become so. The point here is to acknowledge that through our human weakness, we can sin. However, we have a God who is loving, and if we truly repent, we will be forgiven. God is not a monster who seeks to punish us but rather a loving deity who seeks to draw us close to Him. Yet we have the ultimate say in choosing to accept this love or reject it.

Part of the beauty of being human is that we have free will, meaning that we have the choice to accept or reject the love of God. The beauty of this is that should we accept the love of God and try to live the best lives possible, He will help keep us on the right path. Life can be trying at times, but if we hope in Him, He will help us, even if we fail to live up to the perfection we are called to.

Saint John Cassian puts it this way (St. John Cassian, Institutes, Book XII, chap. XI):

“If we remember that thief who, for a single confession, was taken into Paradise, we shall realize that it was not for the merit of the life he lived that he obtained so great blessedness, but that it was his by the gift of God, who had mercy on him. Or let us think of David, the king, whose two such grievous and awful crimes were wiped away by one word of penitence. Neither here do we see that the merit of what he did was equal to obtaining pardon for such great offense, but the grace of God did the more abound when on the occasion of true penitence He did away with all that weight of sin for one single word of genuine confession. Again, when we consider the beginnings of man's calling and salvation, which, as the Apostle tells us, is not of ourselves or of our works, but we are saved by the gift and grace of God, we shall be able clearly to perceive how the end of perfection is not "of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God Who showeth mercy," Who makes us victors over our vices, although we have no merit at all of life or labours to weigh against them, nor does the effort of our will avail for us to reach the steep summit of righteousness, or to subdue the flesh which we are bound to use... For the outcome of all good flows from His grace, Who hath bestowed so great an eternity of bliss and such immeasurable glory, with manifold generosity, upon the weak will and the short life-work of man.”

What this means is that if we are like the thief on the cross and express genuine sorrow, then our sins can be forgiven. This is the joy of Great Lent: it is a time when we can ask God to shape us into a better likeness of Him so that we can be icons of Him to others. This is the reality: God is loving, and this love causes Him to have pity on His creation.

Moreover, if we are doing the best we can to conform ourselves to God’s ways, then we will be fulfilling God’s commandment to love others. Saint John Chrysostom talks about how this shapes us:

“Where there is love, there is great security and God’s great blessing. Love is the mother of all blessings, their root and source; it is the end of wars and the extermination of strife. Indeed, just as dissent and strife cause death and demise prematurely, so love and harmony produce peace and unanimity, and where there is peace and unanimity, all in life is safe and secure. Why speak of the present only? Love brings us heaven and unspeakable goods; it is the queen of virtues.”

What this says is that where there is love, we can know that God’s blessings are there and flow out in actions that produce great changes in people, even to the point of stopping conflicts.

Again, he says:

“Indeed, love is a strong wall, impregnable not only to men but also to the devil. He who is surrounded by a multitude of those who love him cannot fall into danger; he has no reason to be angry, but always feels peace of heart, joy, and gladness; there is no reason to be jealous; there are no occasions for vindictiveness. Look how easily he carries out both his spiritual and worldly affairs. Who can compare to him? He is like a city completely shielded by walls; and he [who has no love] is like a city without any protection.”

What this means is that if one has love and is surrounded by love, then one is strong, because true Christian love flows from being joined to Christ’s Body, the Church, which is a mystical union with Him who is the source of all our life and love.

Therefore, aim to let every action originate from your love for God first and your love for others, for these are the two commandments which our Lord and Saviour commanded us to keep. Without keeping these, one cannot truly live the Christian life.

Finally, use this time of Great Lent as a time to rebuild your relationship with God. Use this time as a time of prayer, where you can lay before God all that bothers you. Also, use this time as a time to pray for those who might not be living the best lives—pray that they have a change of heart and seek God’s ways and His forgiveness.

Saint Benedict of Nursia has this to say on how to pray:

“If we want to ask a favour of any person of power, we presume not to approach but with humility and respect. How much more ought we to address ourselves to the Lord and God of all things with a humble and entire devotion? We are not to imagine that our prayers shall be heard because we use many words, but because the heart is pure and the spirit penitent.”

What he shows is that in our prayer, it is not how long or wordy our prayers are; rather, it is the intention with which we say the words. If we approach God with the heart of a child, He will listen to us. If we demand graces of Him like a spoilt brat, then we will not gain what we desire.

Moreover, prayer should not just be about ourselves; it should be for others—for the greatest act is to pray for others. Also, when one engages in charity, this could be as simple as talking to that one person in the office whom people ignore; one is enacting a prayer in action.

Saint Cyprian of Carthage puts it this way:

“Let us be mutually mindful of one another, of one heart and one mind. Let us ever pray for one another, and by mutual love lighten our burdens and difficulties. And if one of us should, by the swiftness of divine action, depart from here first, let our love continue in the presence of the Lord. Let not prayer for our brothers and sisters cease in the presence of the mercy of the Father.”

Lastly, trust in God, for He knows what we need before we ask it of Him. Do not let your worries cloud this reality. He knows what we need, and if we trust in Him and it is for our good, He will ensure that we have it.

Let us pray this week that we may grow closer to our Lord and Saviour, that we might have life within us.