Homily for Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was dedicated to prayer, even during busy and presumably stressful times in His life. His prayerfulness made His disciples want to do the same, saying, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." They sensed that if they were to pray effectively, they would need tremendous help. Prayer is not just a human activity; it is God's activity in us as we are guided by the Holy Spirit.

The disciples' appeal, "Lord teach us to pray," is itself a prayer. He gave them the Lord's Prayer, which introduces some basic principles of prayer. It starts with an act of worship, focusing on God's glory and will before asking for all we need. It's a pattern for all of our prayers. We first worship  God and then entrust Him with our needs, a practice that instills in us a sense of reverence and humility.