Youcat commented through CCC – Question n. 507 – Part I.

YOUCAT Question n. 507-  Part I. What happens if you find that prayer does not help?

(Youcat answer) Prayer does not seek superficial success but rather the will of God and intimacy with him. God’s apparent silence is itself an invitation to take a step farther in total devotion, boundless faith, endless expectation. Anyone who prays must allow God the complete freedom to speak whenever he wants, to grant whatever he wants, and to give himself however he wants.

A deepening through CCC

(CCC 2749) Jesus fulfilled the work of the Father completely; his prayer, like his sacrifice, extends until the end of time. The prayer of this hour fills the end-times and carries them toward their consummation. Jesus, the Son to whom the Father has given all things, has given himself wholly back to the Father, yet expresses himself with a sovereign freedom (Cf. Jn 17:11, 13, 19, 24) by virtue of the power the Father has given him over all flesh. The Son, who made himself Servant, is Lord, the Pantocrator. Our high priest who prays for us is also the one who prays in us and the God who hears our prayer.     

Reflecting and meditating 

(Youcat comment) Often we say: I have prayed, but it did not help at all. Maybe we are not praying intensely enough. The saintly Curé of Ars once asked a brother priest who was complaining about his lack of success, “You have prayed, you have sighed…  but have you fasted, too? Have you kept vigil?” It could also be that we are asking God for the wrong things. St. Teresa of Avila once said, “Do not pray for lighter burdens; pray for a stronger back”.

(CCC Comment)

(CCC 2750) By entering into the holy name of the Lord Jesus we can accept, from within, the prayer he teaches us: "Our Father!" His priestly prayer fulfills, from within, the great petitions of the Lord's Prayer: concern for the Father's name (Cf. Jn 17:6, 11, 12, 26); passionate zeal for his kingdom (glory) (Cf. Jn 17:1, 5, 10, 22, 23-26); the accomplishment of the will of the Father, of his plan of salvation (Cf. Jn 17:2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24); and deliverance from evil (Cf. Jn 17:15). 

(This question: What happens if you find that prayer does not help? is continued)