Prayer for Unjust Situation

The Promise and the prayer of faith for unjust situations

2570 when God calls him, Abraham departs "as the Lord had told him" (Gen.

12, 4): his whole heart submits to the Word and obeys. The obedience of the

heart to God that he calls is essential to prayer, words have a value

relative. Therefore, Abraham's prayer is expressed first with facts:

man of silence, at each stage he builds an altar to the Lord. Only more

later his first sentence appears with words: a veiled complaint reminding

God makes his promises that do not seem to be fulfilled (cf. Gen 15, 2-3). In this way arises

from the beginning one of the aspects of the dramatic tension of prayer: the

proof of faith in fidelity to God. Prayer for Unjust situations

2571 having believed in God (cf. Gen 15: 6), marching in his presence and in

covenant with him (cf. Gen 17: 2), the patriarch is ready to welcome in his tent the

Mysterious guest: it is Mambré's admirable hospitality, a prelude to the

Annunciation of the true Son of promise (cf. Gen 18, 1-15; Lk 1, 26-38). Since

then, God having entrusted his Plan to him, Abraham's heart is in

consonant with the Lord's compassion for men and dares to

intercede for them with bold confidence (cf. Gen 18: 16-33).

2572 As the last purification of his faith, the "who had received the

promises "(Heb 11:17) to sacrifice the son God has given him. His faith does not waver:

"God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering" (Gn 22: 8), "he thought that mighty

was God even to rise from the dead "(Heb 11:19). Thus, the father of the

believers becomes like the Father who will not forgive his own Son but rather

he will give it up for us all (cf. Rom 8:32). Prayer restores man to

likeness to God and makes him participate in the power of God's love that

save the crowd (cf Rom 4: 16-21).

2573 God renews his promise to Jacob, head of the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Gen.

28, 10-22). Before confronting his brother Esau, he fights a whole night

with mysterious "someone" who refuses to reveal his name but blesses him first

to leave him, at dawn. The spiritual tradition of the Church has taken from this account the

symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and a victory of perseverance

(cf Gn 32, 25-31; Lk 18, 1-8).

Moses and the mediator's prayer

2574 when the promise begins (Passover, Exodus, giving of the Law

and conclusion of the Covenant), the prayer of Moses is the captivating figure of the

prayer of intercession that has its fulfillment in "the only Mediator between

God and men, Christ-Jesus "(1 Tim 2, 5).

2575 Here too, God intervenes, the first. He calls Moses from the bush

burning (cf Ex 3, 1-10). This event will remain as one of the figures

main lines of prayer in the Jewish and Christian spiritual tradition. Yes indeed

"the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" calls his servant Moses is that he is

the living God who wants the life of men. He reveals himself to save them, but not

he does it alone or against the will of men: he calls Moses to send him,

to associate it with his compassion, with his work of salvation. There is like an imploration

divine in this mission, and Moses, after debating, will accommodate his will to

that of God the Savior. But in this dialogue that God trusts, Moses learns

also to pray: he humbles himself, objects, and above all asks and, in response to his request,

the Lord entrusts him with his ineffable Name that will be revealed in his great deeds.

2576 Well then, "God spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with

his friend "(Ex 33:11). Moses' prayer is typical of contemplative prayer

thanks to which the servant of God is faithful to his mission. Moses "talks" with God

frequently and for a long time, climbing the mountain to listen to him and

implore him, going down to the town to convey the words of his God and

guide you. "He is very trustworthy in my house; I speak with him word of mouth,

openly "(Nm 12: 7-8), because" Moses was a humble man rather than

no man on the face of the earth "(Nm 12, 3).

2577 From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to anger and rich in love (cf Ex 34,

6), Moses has drawn strength and tenacity from his intercession. He does not ask for him,

but for the people that God has acquired. Moses intercedes already during combat

with the Amalekites (cf Ex 17: 8-13) or to obtain the healing of Myriam (cf Nm

12, 13-14). But it is especially after the apostasy of the people that "se

keeps in the gap "before God (Ps 106, 23) to save the people (cf Ex 32, 1-

34, 9). The arguments of his prayer (intercession is also a combat

mysterious) will inspire the boldness of the great prayers of both the Jewish people

as of the Church. God is love, therefore he is just and faithful; he cannot contradict himself,

he must remember his wonderful deeds, his Glory is at stake, he cannot

abandon the people that bears his Name.

David and the king's prayer

2578 The prayer of God's people was developed in the shadow of the Abode of

God, the Ark of the Covenant and later the Temple. The village guides - shepherds

and prophets - are the first to teach you to pray. The boy Samuel learned from

his mother Hannah how to "stand before the Lord" (cf 1 S 1, 9-18) and priest Eli how

listen to his Word: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (cf 1 S 3, 9-10). Plus

Later, he too will know the price and the weight of intercession: "For my part,

far from me to sin against the Lord ceasing to plead for you and teach you

the good and straight way "(1 S 12, 23).

2579 David is, par excellence, the king "according to the heart of God," the shepherd who

Pray for his people and in his name, the one whose submission to the will of God,

whose praise and repentance will be the model of the people's prayer. Anointed

of God, his prayer is faithful adherence to the divine promise (cf. 2 S 7, 18-29), trust

loving and joyful in the one who is the only King and Lord. In the Psalms, David,

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he is the first prophet of Jewish and Christian prayer.

The prayer of Christ, true Messiah and son of David, will reveal and lead his

fullness the meaning of this prayer.

2580 The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be

the work of his son Solomon. The prayer of the Dedication of the Temple (cf 1 R 8, 10-

61) is supported by the Promise of God and his Covenant, the active presence of his Name

between his people and the memory of the great events of the Exodus. King raises

then hands to heaven and pray to the Lord for him, for all the people, for the

future generations, for the forgiveness of their sins and his daily needs, to

that all nations know that God is the only God and that the hearts of the people

it belongs entirely to Him.

Elijah, the prophets and the conversion of the heart

2581 For God's people, the Temple should be the place where they learn to pray:

pilgrimages, festivals, sacrifices, the evening offering, incense,

the "showbread", all these signs of the Holiness and Glory of

God, Most High but very close, were calls and paths of prayer. Without

However, ritualism often dragged people into a cult

too exterior. The education of the faith was necessary, the conversion of the heart.

This was the mission of the prophets, before and after the Banishment.

2582 Elijah is the father of the prophets, "of the race of those who seek God, of the

who persecute the Face of him "(Ps 24, 6). His name," The Lord is my God, "announces the

the cry of the people in response to his prayer on Mount Carmel (cf 1 R 18, 39).

James refers us to him to incite us to pray: "The fervent prayer of the just

it has a lot of power "(James 5: 16b-18).

2583 Having learned mercy in retreating him to the torrent of

Kérit, he learns with the widow of Sarepta the faith in the word of God, faith that

he confirms with his insistent prayer: God restores life to the widow's son (cf 1

R 17, 7-24).

In the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, he decisive test for the faith of the people of

God, the fire of the Lord is the answer to his plea that the

burnt offering "at the time of the evening offering": "Answer me, Lord,

answer me! "are the words of Elijah that exactly repeat the liturgies

Orientals in the Eucharistic epiclesis (cf 1 R 18, 20-39).