RBWords

     In every relationship there is some give and take, and sometimes that process is affected by things that are not in the control of either party.  St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the best analogy for the human relationship to God is human friendship.  A friend always wants what is best for a friend.  In both scriptures for today the matter of prayer is put before us.  Esther is praying in a time of great danger to her people.  She is alone and can only turn to God.  God takes care of her and her people.  

     In the passage from the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus speaks of praying without becoming discouraged.  He even teaches us the words that we should say, a prayer we call the "Our Father."

     Close friends remain in communication with one another even if they live far from each other.  That communication arises from the relationship itself because we do not spend our entire days talking to one another.  We carry one another in our minds and hearts.  Just the thought of the friend is enough to make them present to us.  Prayer is like this.  It should be an expression of an on-going and long term relationship with God.  Friends do not always do what we want them to do, but we do not terminate the relationship except for drastic reasons in a true friendship.   With God, to try to terminate the relationship is to reject the ultimate love.  We do not always receive a particular thing, but what we do know is that God wants us to be with God, and this is what strengthens us to work to make possible what is best.  This is not pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by.  Prayer is the way we say "I love you!" even in times of great distress, or just on a daily basis.  AMEN