Readings
I - Sir. 1: 1-10
II - Mk. 9: 14-29
BELIEF IS THE QUALITY TEST OF OUR PRAYER
Today’s Gospel passage has got two parts: one, Jesus casting out the demon and two, Jesus enlightens the disciples on the importance of prayer. The disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the possessed man. He was therefore brought by the crowd to Jesus. Jesus heals him with a command and the boy was freed. To the query of the disciples why they were unable to cast out, Jesus that it is possible only with prayer and not by anything else.
There is a beautiful prayer in the Gospel passage of the day. When Jesus asked the possessed man’s father, “Do you believe?” he answered, “I believe; help my unbelief.” This what our condition today. We do pray a lot but can we say we believe in our prayers? We often pray with ‘if’s and ‘but’s. Belief is the quality test of our prayer. If the prayer is qualitative, we are qualitative as well. Let our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Lord I believe; help my unbelief.”
