GODtalk

We are fond of talking and expressing ourselves. It is believed that an average man speaks about 7,000 words a day, while an average woman utters 20, 000 words a day. But a study shows that both men and women speak about 16,000 words in average (M.R. Mehl et al., "Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?", Science, 317(5834) p. 82 July 5, 2007). These assumptions, though differing in their conclusions, point to the fact that humans are talkative. This fact is manifested in different kinds of talks: debates, dialogues, discourse, diatribe, #realtalk, #bodytalk, door talk, TedTalk, Pop talk, etc. There is even an app today which encourages it: Omegle: Talk to Strangers (though we are taught by our parents not to talk to strangers!).

   

In the gospel (Lk 11:1-14), Jesus teaches us a different kind of talk. It is a talk not between two human persons but between man and God: a God-talk; a heart-to-heart talk with God. Jesus teaches us, through the request of an anonymous disciple, how to pray. He introduces us to a prayer, which is an intimate conversation with God. (More than a distant God to whom His subjects make supplication and adoration). Jesus teaches us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage to say: Our Father. It is with the Father that we talk our hearts out. It is through those intimate conversations with God that we come to discover that we have a merciful Father in God who gives life to us, who provides for our daily sustenance.

The prophet Jonah (Jonah 4:1-11) saw for himself this mercy of God as He spared the Ninevites from destruction as they repented from their sins; as indeed, God cares for Nineveh. This realization came about through the prophet's talk with God as if God is there beside him as he mused on the fate of the Ninevites, and contemplated his death. Through his prayers and conversation with God, Jonah learned about the boundless love of God for His people as a Father who would care for His lost children. This fact can be made known to us through prayer; through a constant conversation with God.

Prayer then is a conversation with God. Prayer may be done in personal words, a casual chat with God. The Good news is when our words could not contain our deepest desires and sentiments of our hearts; when we do not anymore know how to pray or what to pray for in life, Jesus teaches us a prayer that contains all the essentials of a prayer to God. He instituted a Church that guards and provides communal prayers that can express our hearts: the celebration of the Holy Eucharist (as a form of thankful prayer), the Lord's Prayer. He teaches us that God is OUR Father not only MY Father. Therefore, in our prayer as a Church, we pray as a community or as a family prays for one another; praying WITH one another. Praying to OUR Father as a community and as a Church is our safeguard for not deducing God as our only personal God (who would be shaped by our personal whims and caprices). Our Catholic Christian prayers direct us to the true identity of God as OUR Father, not only a Personal Lord and Savior. In our prayers, therefore, we may engage with God in a personal conversation with Him, but when this fails there is the communal prayer instituted by Jesus that we pray with one another; pray for one another.

In life we occupy ourselves with lots of talks, but when was the last time you had a heart-to-heart talk with God; when was the last time you had a God-talk? When was the time you prayed with all your hearts? Should this not help you, Jesus offers to us a perfect prayer; the Lord's Prayer, so that you can pray with your fellow Christians, through which you can pray for one another.