Thoughts for the Day

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As many people have found it's not always easy to report something to the right person, whether this is a child trying to tell a teacher of an incident that has occurred in the school playground, or a member of the public reporting an incident to the police, or even explaining the need for a Doctor's appointment to the receptionist. If the person you are speaking to doesn't think it important it may not get passed on to the relevant 'authority'..

Jesus says to His disciples two things in today's passage from John's Gospel. First he reassures them that the pain they will suffer when he has left them, not just their sorrow at losing him we must assume, but also because to be a Christian at that time was going to bring persecution and probable death, would eventually bring joy because they would see him again. Whether he is thinking of his resurrection or his second coming, when he will return to judge the earth, is not quite clear.

Secondly though, we have in this passage the clearest instruction about how we are to get help - who we are to report to when we need something. We are to ask God the Father for what we need, in the name of Jesus. We have a new relationship with the Father because of the work of Jesus. There will never be a time that our messages of prayer will not be received, because we ask in "Jesus' name". Our prayers will not be blocked or ignored as in daily life, they will always be dealt with, and always answered. There is one caveat though. We should remember to add "Your will be done" each time we pray!

Father-God,
Your Son taught us to approach You
and to make our petitions in His name.
This day we come before You
to ask Your help for our world.
This day we come before You
to ask Your help for our Church.
This day we come before You
to ask Your help for ourselves.
This day we come before You
to ask Your help for.....................................
May Your will be done this day.
We ask these petitions in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.