Jesus of Nazareth prayed always without losing heart (cf. Lk
18,1). Prayer was the life of his soul, and his whole life was prayer. The
history of mankind knows of no other personage who was so fully-and in such a
way-absorbed in prayer with God, as was Jesus of Nazareth, Son of man, and at
the same time Son of God, "one in Being with the Father".
There are passages emphasize the prayer of Jesus, stating
explicitly that "Jesus prayed". This occurs at different moments of
the day and night and on various occasions: in the morning (Mk 1,35), during the
day and in the evening, and especially at night (Lk 5,15-16; Mt 14,23).
Prayer also constituted the preparation for important
decisions and at moments of great significance for Christ's messianic mission.
At the commencement of his public ministry (cf. Mt 4,1-1l, and parallel
passages), before the choice of the apostles (Lk 6,12-13), before Peter's
confession of faith (Lk 9,18-20).
Profoundly touching is the prayer before the resurrection of
Lazarus, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank thee that
thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on
account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send
me'" (Jn 11,41-42).
The prayer during the Last Supper (the so-called priestly
prayer), should be quoted in full (Jn 17).
Jesus prayed for that which is the essential purpose of his
mission, the glory of God and the salvation of mankind.
The Son as it were gives an account to his Father of his
earthly mission (Jn 17,6-7).
He prays for his disciples present and future (Jn 17,9; Jn
17,11).
He prays that "they may be one", that "none of
them be lost" (and here the Master mentions "the son of
perdition"), that "they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves"
(cf. Jn 17,13).
Jesus asks on behalf of the
disciples, "Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst
send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I
consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth" (Jn
17,17-19).
Jesus
"priestly prayer," is the synthesis of God's self revelation in the
Son which is at the heart of the Gospels. The Son speaks to the Father in the
name of that unity which exists between them ("You, Father, are in me and I
in you", Jn 17,21).
At the same time he prays for the spread among men and women
of the fruits of the salvific mission for which he came into the world. Thus he
reveals the mystery of the Church, which arises from his salvific mission, and
he prays for its future development in the midst of the "world". He
opens up the perspective of glory to which are called together with him all
those who "accept" his word.
It seems that Hebrews refers particularly to. this prayer of
Gethsemane when it says, "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up
prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to
save him from death". And here the author of the Letter adds that "he
was heard for his godly fear" (Heb 5,7).
Certainly Jesus prayed on the various occasions determined by
Israel's religious tradition and law, as for example when, at the age of twelve,
he went up with his parents to the Temple of Jerusalem (cf. Lk 2,41ff.) or when,
as the evangelists tell us, he went "to the synagogue, as his custom was,
on the Sabbath day" (cf. Lk 4,16).
However, what the Gospels tell us about Christ's
personal-prayer is worthy of special attention. The Church has never forgotten
it and she finds in Christ's personal dialogue with the Father the source, the
inspiration, the power of her own prayer. Indeed, in Jesus at prayer there is
expressed in the most personal way the mystery of the Son, who lives totally
"for the Father", in intimate union with him.
