Pope explains true nature of Christian prayer

December 06, 2013 - A true Christian prayer tirelessly expresses the believer’s need and the certainty that the Lord can grant us our prayer, even though he doesn’t know exactly how. That is why one who prays does not fear disturbing God and nurtures complete trust in the love of the Father. Pope Francis shared this reflection in his homily at Mass Friday morning at the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He was commenting on Mathew’s Gospel episode about the two blind crying out to Jesus to heal them. Pope Francis recalled other episodes of the blind men crying out to be healed, saying Jesus teaches us to pray with insistence, like those in the parables of the bothersome friend at night and the importunate window pestering the unjust judge. The Pope said, with their tireless shouting, the two blind men demonstrated their firm belief that Jesus could heal them. Jesus advises us to knock at the door, make noise and not be afraid of disturbing the Father, the Pope added.