“For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
matthew 18:20
there am I in the midst of them.”
Reflection
Jesus tells his disciples if their brother sins against them, tell him his fault privately, and if he listens, he is won over. He also tells them that if any two people agree on what to pray about, the Father will grant it.
Jesus gives us a model of prayer to follow in this Gospel: community prayer. Where two or three are gathered, there Jesus is. Of course, he is always with us privately, but gathering together in his name is powerful as well. When people ask you to pray for them or for a specific intention, make sure you do it. Knowing that someone else is praying for you is truly a blessing.
Jesus says that such prayer will be granted by his Father in heaven. We know that prayers are not always answered in the way we think they will be, but they are answered nonetheless. When we are gathered together in prayer, the Holy Spirit is especially palpable. He is there encouraging and guiding our prayer to God the Father. If you do not have a community you pray with, try to find one or start one. It can be simple – between spouses or close friends, relatives or people from church. Jesus wants us to gather in his name, both praising him and asking for the grace to travel the narrow path to heaven.
Saint of the Day
St. Hippolytus: died AD 236
“For all things that are made He forms by reason and wisdom — creating them in reason, and arranging them in wisdom.”
Letter Against Noetus
The Healing Word 