Thanks to MRIs, doctors can now observe what happens in our brain when we do any activity. In one experiment, neuroscientists monitored the brain while the subject prayed. They found that the parts of the brain responsible for self-soothing and self-reflection were activated while the region responsible for actions were inactivated.

Scientists point to this as evidence that prayer works to control our addictive urges. They proved this in a study where they showed drinking-related photos to alcoholics while they were in an MRI machine. The parts of the brain related to cravings fired up. But when these subjects were asked  to pray, these cravings diminished.

So the next time you think that prayers are futile, know that science already has the evidence that they work. The more we pray, the more we are transformed into the mind of Christ. No wonder Jesus took the time to go to deserted places to pray.

Rissa Singson Kawpeng (rissakawpeng@gmail.com)

reflect

“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” (St. John Chrysostom)

Lord, I pray to You. Change me and my circumstances according to Your will. Amen.

St. Gregory the Great, pope and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

Saint Paul reminds us to constantly pray for one another. Sadly, we underestimate the power of intercessory prayer today. We do this at the risk of falling into the sin of presuming God’s goodness to us. The Church has a history of men and women in contemplative orders who give their lives to quiet intercession and penance for the sake of the Gospel. Let us thank God for the gift of these contemplatives who lay down their lives in the service of intercession.

¹ Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ² to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father. ³ We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones ⁵ because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the Gospel, ⁶ that has come to you. Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth, ⁷ as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 52:10, 11

R: I trust in the mercy of God forever.

¹⁰ I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. (R) ¹¹ I will thank you always for what you have done, and proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones. (R) 

Gospel | Luke 4:38-44

Jesus knows what His mission is, and He will not allow anything to distract Him from it. Jesus is not interested in acclaim from others or a comfortable and easy life. He is focused on obeying the Father’s will and proclaiming the Good News of salvation to people. Like Jesus, let us all pray for the zeal and single-mindedness of heart. With this, I am sure the work of evangelization will be completed quickly.

Gospel Acclamation

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.

³⁸ After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. ³⁹ He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. ⁴⁰ At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41 And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. ⁴² At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” ⁴⁴ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 7 - 10 today.

While praying our Gospel for today, a funny thought came to me—were there Filipinos at that time, also looking for Jesus and trying to prevent Him from leaving? Let us read that passage again: “The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent from leaving them . . .” (Luke 4:42).

Did you get what I’m saying? It may sound like a joke, but it’s true, especially for us Filipinos who try to have Jesus solely for ourselves. We don’t want to share Him with others. Do you notice how, in some parishes, the Mass goers compete with each other when lining up for Holy Communion? 

That attitude saddens me whenever I am in major churches. People get mad at the priests when they try to implement some order. Maybe many of us have that unconscious desire of keeping Jesus to ourselves and refusing to share Him with others. However, to have Jesus actually means to give Him to others—just like how Simon’s mother-in-law, after Jesus healed her of her fever, “immediately got up and waited on them” (Luke 4:39). So beautiful! 

Yes, we have to be close to Jesus and be attached to Him, but never to cling to Him in a way that prevents others from approaching and getting close to or experiencing Him. Like Saint Paul in the First Reading today who freely trusted his fellow workers in the Lord’s vineyard, we need to enrich each other’s faith by graciously sharing Jesus with them so that they, too, may share Jesus to more people and experience His love and mercy, joy and salvation.

Fr. Nick Lalog

reflection question

Were there situations in your life when you tried to keep Jesus by your side to monopolize His blessings and grace?

God, our loving Father, forgive me for the many times I have consciously and unconsciously kept Jesus for myself. Forgive me for failing to realize the need to proclaim and share Him in my life, in my witnessing. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________