Be Present During Prayer
Gospel Reflection for March 16, 2026
“After the two days, he left there for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.’ The royal official said to him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You may go; your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, ‘The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.’ The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live,’ and he and his whole household came to believe. [Now] this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.” (John 4:43-54 NABRE)
As we pray, do we treat our prayers as though Jesus is listening? In other words, do our prayers come from the heart, or are they simply a matter of routine? Sometimes our prayers may be monotonous repetitions rather than meaningful petitions to God.
The royal official in today’s Gospel approached Jesus in confidence and asked Him to heal his son who was ill. When Jesus told the official that his request would be granted, the man believed Jesus. It was as simple as that.
Do we truly believe that Jesus hears our prayers and answers them? When our mind wanders off, do we forget that our prayers are being listened to? Do we believe that our prayers make a difference in the world and in the lives of those for whom we pray? We must have faith that Jesus hears and will answer our prayers, even if He does so in a way that we did not ask for or expect.
We must further avoid mindlessly rambling off a list of prayers, and instead, we must be truly present to Jesus and acknowledge the importance of what we are asking from the Lord. As we pray, may we truly focus on our prayers and let them flow from the heart, as we trust in the Lord to hear and answer them. May we imitate the same eager faith, confidence, and trust that the royal official exemplified when approaching Jesus.