Pray for a Clean Heart

Deacon Kevin Gingras

March 21, 2121, 5th Sunday of Lent

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032121-YearB.cfm

So quite a few years back I took my son out shopping for a gift for his mother. I told him this expedition was to purchase a gift for his mother and nothing else. NO TOYS. We went to the mall and I foolishly parked in a spot where we would have to walk past the toy store on our way to Jordan Marsh. That was enough. He began to petition me for a toy. Again, I lovingly explained what our trip was for. He didn’t stop and his petition escalated to supplication. We are now in Jordan Marsh and his petition turns to frustration and anger with my response. The more he petitioned the more I dug my feet in and would not relent to that behavior. Finally, I decide it’s best we just head back home empty-handed. As I grab hold of him and we slog through Jordan Marsh he is now exclaiming “He’s not my father, he’s not my father” over and over again. I remember the look the lady at the makeup counter gave me. I managed to eke out a small wry smile and look her in the eye and say: “If he wasn’t my son do you think I’d still be holding on to him”? She smiled back and mentioned how he looks just like me and fortunately we were able to leave without security getting involved. Sometimes we feel God is like that, don’t we? No matter how hard we pray we feel he isn’t listening to us. Rest assured, He hears our prayers, all of them. Of course, God, like a good parent, knows how our prayers should be answered, and sometimes we don’t get our petitions and supplications answered as we would like. Jeremiah is prophesying about an answer to the prayers of the Jewish people of that time. The answer will be a Messiah who, through Jeremiah says:

I will be their God, and they shall be my people - All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

For some of the Jews, especially the leaders, this prayer will not be answered in a way they want and they will put that Messiah to death in their aggravation, exclaiming like my son did that day at the mall: “He’s not my Father”! I’m glad I didn’t suffer the same outcome at the mall that day, I made it home alive! Contrary to what they wanted to believe about God - He is our father. We should have a relationship with him. One of the ways we do that is through prayer. We hear about Jesus praying all the time in the Gospels to his Father God. Our second reading from Hebrews illustrates that well as it states:

He offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

There are several types of prayer that we can use to assist us. Prayers of Supplication/Petition/Intercession - that’s what we just heard about, prayers asking for what we need or for the needs of others. When we read today’s Psalm we hear of another type of prayer, prayers of Contrition or Repentance. King David had committed a mortal sin with Bathsheba and then doubled down on this sin when he sent her husband Uriah to his death. Now King David asks for mercy, for the forgiveness of his sin, and asks for a clean heart. Shouldn’t we ask for a clean heart as well through prayers of repentance? A perfect heart. When the original Ark of the Covenant was built it was to be covered with pure and precious gold and it held the law. The Ark of the New Covenant, who is Mary, had to be perfect as well, conceived without sin to carry Jesus. The first reading from Jeremiah says for this new covenant that God will:

place my law within them and write it upon their hearts

Prayers of Contrition should be our mantra as the Psalmist says “Create a clean heart in me, O God”. Since this new law will also be written upon our hearts we should get them as near as perfect as we possibly can just as the Ark of the Covenant was so carefully crafted and how Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant was conceived without sin? Prayer is one of the most powerful tools in our Catholic Toolbox. We just discussed prayers of Supplication or Petition and prayers of Contrition or Repentance. There are also prayers this homily won’t get into today and they are prayers of Adoration or Blessing and Thanksgiving or Gratitude. Prayer should be how we continue to evolve our relationship with God, our loving Father, and Jesus the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who motivates and guides our prayers if we simply ask. As St. Padre Pio said:

One does not win the battle without prayer. The choice is yours.