Prayer: Following Jesus

I found this in the latest issue of Magnificat and thought it captured a great insight into pilgrimage: pilgrimage is essentially following Jesus on the Way. One of the earliest designations for the Christian Church was "followers of the Way." A most excellent way we can prepare for pilgrimage is to follow Jesus in his prayer to the Father. Enjoy: Your Word is a Lamp

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (Mt 8: 19). When the scribe spoke thus to Jesus, he surely meant more than just traipsing along the highways and byways of Galilee and Judea in the footsteps of Jesus. He was pledging himself to an across-the-board imitation of Christ. Jesus seems to have understood him exactly in that way because he (Jesus) went on to describe the challenges to which the scribe would be committing himself: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” One of the things he would be giving himself over to was a life of prayer. Up and down the Gospels, Jesus is reported as profoundly given to praying. Particularly in Luke’s Gospel is Jesus so portrayed – as very much given to prayer.

Consider the following references in Luke to Jesus at prayer: “He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day” (Lk 4: 16). Note the italicized words and, of course, note that the synagogue is a place of prayer. “The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray” (Lk 5: 15-16). Note “he would withdraw,” signifying a customary, repeated action. Yet another instance: “During the day, Jesus was teaching in the temple area, but at night he would leave and stay at the place called the Mount of Olives” (Lk 21: 37). Once again in this text Jesus’ praying is not referred to as a once-for-all prayer but rather as something typical, usual for him. Could our efforts to follow Christ be more meaningful than when we follow him to prayer?