“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (Jn 16:23)
There is an absurd phenomenon in the world. On the one hand, we see people who are lost, constantly seeking, who, experienced by life, feel the torment of helplessness and the need for help, as if they were orphans, and on the other, the reality of God, the Father of all people, who desires nothing more than to “use” his omnipotence, to fulfill desires and needs of his children. An emptiness that call for fullness, a fullness that summons an emptiness but do not meet. The freedom that a person has been gifted with, can also lead to this. But God continues to love those who belief Him. Hear what Jesus says:
Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you
Ponder one of those promising sentences that Jesus repeats so often in the Gospel. He teaches you how to get what you need with a variety of phrases and explanations. (...) Only God can say that. His possibilities are endless. He can give all graces and gifts: material, spiritual, gifts that seem possible to us and gifts that seem impossible to us.
But listen carefully. He tells you how to present your request to the Father. He says "in my name". If you have any faith, these three short words should give you wings. See: Jesus, who lived among us, knows us and our countless needs and has pity on us. And that is why he told us how to pray: "Go to the Father in my name and ask Him for everything you need." Jesus knows that the Father cannot refuse Him - His Son and God. Do not go to the Father in your name, but in the name of Christ. When you go to the Father in the name of Christ, you are serving as a messenger. The interested parties settle matters among themselves. So many Christians pray like this, and they could testify how many countless graces they have received. These graces prove that God's caring, paternal love watches over us.
“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you”
At this point, you may answer me: "I asked and asked in the name of Christ, but I received nothing." Perhaps. I have said before that Jesus, in the Gospel, said how to request and gives further explanations that you may have missed. For example, he says that he who "remains" in him, that is, in his will, receives it. (...) There may be times when you ask for something that does not fall within God's plan for you and God does not see it useful for your life here on earth or for your merits for the other world, he considers it harmful to you. How could He, who is the Father, listen to you in such a situation? He would hurt you. And he will never do that. So it will be good if you first unite yourself with Him before you pray and say to Him: "Father, I am asking you for this in the name of Jesus, if you think it is good." If the grace you are asking for is in line with God's plan of love for you, then the following words will come true: “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you”
It is also possible that you are asking for graces but have no intention of adjusting your life to what God is asking for. In this case, too, does it seem right for you that God should listen to you? He doesn't want to give you just a gift, He wants to give you complete happiness. And we receive this by trying to live God's commandments, His words. It is not enough just to think about it or limit ourselves to meditating it. You have to live with it.
If you do, you will get everything. So: do you want to receive a graces? Ask in the name of Christ for anything, paying attention first of all to His will, choosing to obey God's law. Giving graces is God's joy, but, unfortunately, very often we tie his hands.
until Tomorrow
fr. george