Jesus said to his disciples, “Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” (John 16:23)
Today, on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we have reached the beautiful time between the Lord’s Resurrection and his Ascension. In the Gospel readings, we see Jesus preparing his disciples for his imminent departure from them. In the sixteenth chapter of St John’s Gospel, we hear the Saviour’s words: “Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.” With these words, Jesus opens to us the mystery of prayer—not merely prayer, but prayer offered in his name.
What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? It is not merely a formula appended to our prayers. This is indeed how we generally pray in church: to the heavenly Father, in the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus. But what does it mean?
To pray in Jesus’ name is to enter into his own relationship with the Father. It means to pray united with Christ, with his heart and in accordance with his will. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we no longer stand before God alone, but together with Christ and in Christ.
The Church Father St Augustine said: “Christ prays for us as our priest; he prays in us as our head.” This is the mystery of prayer: we never pray alone, but always with Christ and in Christ.
Jesus adds something else that is very beautiful and helps us understand God: “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” Prayer and joy are inseparably connected—not merely momentary happiness, but complete joy. It is joy that does not depend on outward circumstances, but flows from deep fellowship with God.
God created the human person to be happy, full of grace and blessedness. Yet this happiness can spring only from immediate fellowship with God. The less there is in our lives to draw our attention away from God and cloud our relationship with him, the happier we are. God desires us to be happy—and unhappy is the person who rejects this offer and chooses anything else in place of God.
Come and meet the Lord at church. Masses at St Elizabeth’s Church in Pärnu begin today at 10:00, followed by coffee, and at 18:00. Welcome!
