October 12, 2004

Recently, during a Eucharistic vigil on a retreat for young American lay missionary volunteers from the Finca del Niño (“Farm of the Child”) on the North Coast of Honduras, we did a group exercise of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is the prayerful repeated reading of and reflection on a passage of Sacred Scripture. The passage chosen was John 15:9-17. One of the volunteers commented on the second to last verse of the passage: “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (NIV). He remarked that if we are really bearing the kind of fruit the Father desires, we would only ever ask for things that are pleasing to Him; that’s why He will grant whatever we ask.

As he made those comments, the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32) suddenly flashed before my mind. The son in the story reduces his father to a supplier, a resource to get what he wants. And I do the same thing with God. He is offering me His fatherhood and His love, and I go to Him with my wish list. I do the same thing with Jesus. He is offering me His friendship and love (“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you… I no longer call you servants… Instead I have called you friends,” Jn 15:9,15 NIV), and I use Him to get what I want. How different might my prayer life be if I put the love of God, my relationship of sonship with the Father, and of friendship with the Son as my top priorities.

O Lord, reveal your love to me! Father, let me experience your Fatherhood and know what it means to be Your son! Lord Jesus, grant me the privilege of being counted among your faithful friends!

Fr. Herald J. Brock, CFR
Local Servant, Convento San Serafin, Comayagua, Honduras
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