Homily: September 24, 2025, Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Prayer)

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 “At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.”

How do you pray?

Today’s first reading gives us a beautiful description of how priest Ezra prayed. He considered himself ‘wretched’, totally unworthy of God and His mercy. This expressed his deep reverence for the vast greatness and graciousness of God. He fell on his knees with outstretched arms. This expressed his total surrender, obedience and submission to the ultimate good and perfect will of God. Ezra’s humble prayer disposition is beautiful. He prayed with a deep, sincere, and remorseful heart, laid bare before God, bearing the guilt of his people, yet completely appreciative and grateful for God’s forgiveness.

He offered this prayer after the completion and dedication of the rebuilt Temple. The broken temple now rebuilt signified a reconciled relationship with God. Now the Israelites can worship in God’s house again.

This Temple remained a place of worship till the time of Jesus, after which it was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, just as Jesus had prophesied.

We see many models of such sincere and humble prayers in Scripture: the prayer of the tax collector in the Temple, David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51, Hannah’s tearful prayer for a child, Daniel’s prayer from the furnace, Moses’ intercession for Israel, Elijah’s prayer in the cave, and even Hagar’s cry in the wilderness. It is not the words that come forth, but the true contrition and deep reverence that would move God to pour out graces in abundance.

And what do you pray for?

Jesus Himself taught us: pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom, pray that His will be done on earth.

In today’s Gospel, He sends out His disciples not just to pray for the coming of Kingdom but to proclaim the Kingdom. When we pray for God’s will, it is immediately granted. The power of prayer is not in the one who prays, but in the One who grants.

Like Ezra, and many others before us, let us pray with an open, contrite, earnest and humble heart. May we know that while we who are sinners, are unworthy to ask, God who is holy, is never unwilling to grant.

And let us humbly ask for the grace and privilege to extend God’s Kingdom on earth through our words, deeds, and lives.

Amen.


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