May 9, 2013. Homily, Saturday, May 11, 2013

Jn 16:23b-28

Jesus sad to his disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 
‘I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you clearly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; now, I am leaving the world and am going back to the Father.’

The apostles to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray." And Jesus responded, "This is how you should pray. 'Our Father, who art in heaven * * * '" But Jesus started not with "Our Father" but with "Abba", and the Aramaic word "Abba" means not "Father" but "Daddy“. We are to address God the Father with the familiar diminutive. For we are members of His family. Dare we be that familiar with God. He, through Jesus, asks us to be so familiar.

Why on earth do we address our Fathers as "Daddy"? Because he has given us life, he has taught us, he has supported us, he loves us. And if we ask anything of our earthly daddy, he will give it to us. So, Jesus says, in this Gospel. " Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." We pray for guidance. Then with that guidance, we ask, and with our request guided by the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, and made in the name of Jesus, that request will be given to us.