Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Caelum apertum | Heavens opened

“As he was praying, the heavens opened” – Luke 3: 21 (NLT).





We are Christians. We have received the holy sacraments of baptism, Holy Communion, reconciliation, and confirmation. Some of us were ordained as priests in the Catholic Church. So we have everything necessary to pray and speak with our Lord.

Today the Gospel passage helps us stop for a while and think about our way of prayer. As parents, teachers, and priests, we have much experience in this field. We know precisely about prayers of worship, thanksgiving, and intercession. We read in Hebrew 13:15 and Revelation 4:11 about the prayer of worship. We know Psalm 100 verse 4 which tells us about the need for thanksgiving. We often follow the example of Daniel (9:1-27) and intercede for another person or group of people. But do we open our souls to the gift of the Holy Spirit and look for support in our weakness? (see: Rom 8:26-27).

I can admit that unfortunately, my prayer is sometimes automatic. I do pray a lot: daily Eucharist, breviary 6 or 7 times a day, the Scriptures. But still, I have a problem listening to the  Holy Spirit who comes in a sound of a gentle breeze (see: 1 King 19:11-21). Like Elijah, I escape from reality and want to know God who tears the mountains and shatters the rocks. But it does not happen at all. So I am impatient and make my own plans and decisions. I explain to myself that my Lord does not tell me what I should do.

Today's passage touches me very much. Yes, I do understand that I have to spend more time in silence before my Lord. I need to be more patient and opened for the Holy Spirit to descend on me. Then, I will be ready to get the message: "You are my dearly beloved son, and you bring me great joy". Amen.


Reflection on Luke 3:21-382 by Józef Trzebuniak

(Listen to the podcast here)



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