Question 9.153

9.153 Finally, Francis often speaks about “the missionary power of intercessory prayer”. What is your view on this subject?

The pope wrote an admirable passage when he reminded us: “The great men and women of God were great intercessors. Intercession is like a ‘leaven’ in the heart of the Trinity. It is a way of penetrating the Father’s heart and discovering new dimensions which can shed light on concrete situations and change them. We can say that God’s heart is touched by our intercession, yet in reality he is always there first. What our intercession achieves is that his power, his love, and his faithfulness are shown ever more clearly in the midst of the people” (EG 283).

If man does not lift up his sights toward God, by praying and interceding, he dries out and dies to himself. The same thing also applies, in a similar way, to the success of missionary work.

Saint Paul addresses this topic very often. In his Letter to the Ephesians, he strongly exhorts them: “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph 6:18-20). The urgent necessity of intercessory prayer appears repeatedly in Paul’s teaching. He asks the first Christians to pray for him and to intercede with the saints so that his work of evangelization might be abundant and effective: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak” (Col 4:2-4).

The prayer of monks and nuns is one of the most productive foundations of the Church. Monasteries are absolutely prodigious centers of evangelization and mission. The ardent, continual prayer of Carmelite, Benedictine, Cistercian, or Visitation nuns, to mention only a few congregations, assists and mightily supports the work of priests. The modern world and even some clerics, inebriated by their feeling of power, often think that cloistered monks and nuns serve no purpose. Ultimately, that is the noblest compliment we can offer the contemplatives who have withdrawn behind the high walls of their cloisters; they serve nothing in particular here below, but simply God alone. This is the simple, beautiful secret of their prayers, which support the whole world.

How can we forget Christ’s saying: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road” (Lk 10:2-4). The first thing to do when laborers are lacking is not to apply our intelligence to restructuring a diocese, to reorganize the parishes by consolidating them-which is not to deny the possible usefulness and appropriateness of such a project. Instead, it is necessary to pray that God will raise up many holy vocations to the priestly ministry and the consecrated life.

Do we really pray ardently for vocations? Do we pray every day that God will send priests?

We must ask God ceaselessly to raise up great mission workers among his people. Missionary work is not a human endeavor; it can only come from God. Intercessory prayer is gentle and confident. The Holy Ghost Fathers of my childhood had successful missions because they were constantly immersed in prayer, asking God to grant them his protection and to make their work as sowers of the word productive. Humanly speaking, how could anyone imagine for an instant that such poor men could have succeeded in communicating Christ’s words in the most remote parts of Africa? Only the missionary power of intercessory prayer of which Francis speaks can explain their magnificent achievements. …

During the three years of his public life on this earth, Jesus often took the apostles aside to pray. The mission of Christ and of the early Christians was already God’s work. The suffering that can sometimes accompany missionary work is transformed into victory by intercessory prayer.

Francis ultimately wants the Gospel to penetrate into the life of every person. The Word of God is not an idea or an ideal; it exists to circulate through the whole human being, in all his dimensions, and in so doing the Gospel can set out for the farthest corners of the world. The Holy Father’s desire is realistic, because he is in complete agreement with the will of Christ. Certainly Francis is seeking to apply the words of Saint James, who clearly stated: “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder” (Jas 2:18-19).

Evangelization would remain just an idea that would not fit into the concrete situations of life if we did remain closely united to God through prayer.

In Lumen fidei, his first encyclical, Francis writes: “There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God” (LF 4).

The source is God, through constant prayer. God is always our admirable strength, our serene joy, and our luminous hope.