Daily Gospel Reflection for May 28, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Kerri Baunach

Today's Gospel: John 16:23b-28

I found today’s passage from the Gospel of John very challenging, as John’s Gospel often is. On one level this passage is very simple, but as is often the case, there are deeper meanings throughout this Gospel. After three attempts at a short reflection, I started focusing on these words of Jesus:

“I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.”

What does this mean as we focus on how we pray to God?

The overall theme of today’s Gospel is prayer. Numerous times Jesus tells the disciples to “ask in my name.” When we pray we should confidently ask God for our needs and desires. The key to prayer is to ask in Jesus’ name.

But why does He say He won’t ask the Father for us? The answer is in the very next line. God the Father loves us more than we can possibly imagine. He wants to answer our prayers, and He especially wants us to invoke the name of Jesus. Essentially, Jesus does not need to plead our case before the Father.

As I reflect more on this I am recalling a lot of the prayers of the Church both in and outside of Mass. So many prayers the Church provides us are addressed to God in the name of Jesus. This certainly gives me some food for thought as I consider my own personal prayers.

This does not mean we can’t or shouldn’t address prayers to Jesus. Not at all! He is still God in the second person of the Trinity. But I do find something powerful in addressing my prayers first toward God the Father in the name of His beloved Son Jesus. What a way to show our own love for Jesus and the Father!

Ponder:

Do any of Jesus’ words today cause you to relook at aspects of your prayer life?

Pray:

Lord God, Father in heaven, I ask for Your guidance as I continue to grow in my prayer life. In Jesus name, I pray.

Click to tweet:
God the Father loves us more than we can possibly imagine. He wants to answer our prayers, and He especially wants us to invoke the name of Jesus. #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Kerri Baunach

Kerri Baunach lives in Lexington, KY with her husband and three boys. She’s a Benedictine Oblate with the Archabbey of St. Meinrad in Indiana, homeschools her boys part-time through a hybrid school, and is a former writer and editor at CatholicSistas.com.