Openness and Prayer

In the First Reading from Exodus, we hear about Moses, who raised his hands in prayer, and the Israelites would win, however, as he lowered them, their enemies gained territory. I want to highlight the significance of this command for how we may choose to fight our battles. 

I don’t know about you, but when I tend to be oppressed, entering that feeling of battle, I tend to turn inwards, holding myself rather than reaching out, and yet this posture of openness was exactly what the Lord commanded of Moses. This open posture was the defence the Israelites needed to win the battle; how much more would it allow us to win our battles? I once heard of a speaker who whenever he was tempted to sin or to curse God would go and lie down on the ground with his arms wide open and yell praises at God till the temptation passed. I am not saying we need to adopt such an intense posture, but what if we simply offered the Lord our open hearts instead? 

It is this openness, this persistence that Jesus encourages in the Gospel. Day and night, we have the choice to open ourselves, our arms, and our hearts to the Son of Man and fight the battles within, or, as Jesus says, find faith on earth when he comes. A faith that is not bound by the ways we expect or by our inward protections, but by openness and honesty. 

• Are there times my heart has been hardened by the weight of battle?  

• Where/ what am I needing to break open?

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Alexis Abello lives in a small town, where she reflects on her love of the elderly in her work or the beautiful mysteries of Jesus around her. She kindly asks for prayers as she continues to strive to do the will of God daily.