Originally published at Orange County Catholic
THE CATECHISM OF THE Catholic Church teaches that “when Jesus prays, He is already teaching us how to pray…Like a wise teacher, He takes hold of us where we are and leads us progressively toward the Father” (CCC #2607).
Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus unveils His Heart before His disciples, revealing His desire for them to know the Father sent Him. Before raising Lazarus from the dead, He prayed, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd here, I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me” (Jn. 11:41-42).
The disciples witnessed Jesus praying aloud during the Last Supper (cf. Jn. 14-18) and in the garden of Gethsemane (cf. Mark 14:36). Throughout these moments, Jesus reveals His Heart as the Beloved Son who always loves the Father. He desires to draw all His disciples, including us today, into the intimate communion of the Trinity through the power of His Holy Spirit.
As we enter into Holy Week, the Church invites us to reverently listen to the last seven words of Jesus, knowing that each syllable cost Him greatly. Jesus struggled to breathe as He died on the
