As a kid I liked to take things apart: radios, watches, toys, golf balls, furniture. Anything that had an “insides” was fair game. “I wonder what’s inside,” I would say to myself. “I wonder how that works.” There was real science involved, and real reasons why what I took apart was put together in the first place, but I did not discover them.
As the years went by, I did learn a bit of the science behind how things work, and it fascinated and amazed me. But I also learned something even more fascinating and amazing: that there are realities beyond the realm of science, realities so profound that they are felt deep down in ones’ bones with gut-level certitude but elude any attempts at dissection or scientific analysis. Such are the ways of God.
At times such realities do not occur to us in certitude but as an interior longing, a question, an intuition, even an ache for something better. We wonder about that which we cannot see but to which we feel an inescapable attraction. “Am I dreaming this up?” we ask ourselves. It is a true grace to recognize eventually that our longing, our question, our intuition, our ache, and our attraction are there because there is Someone to long for, Someone who is the answer, Someone whose very presence we intuited, Someone we ache to know, Someone attracting us to himself.
News came a few months ago that a scientific study had been done on the effectiveness of intercessory prayer, and the results were not awe-inspiring. According to the March 31 online edition of Science and Theology News, “The largest-ever study of prayer offers discouragement to religious believers hoping for evidence that prayer for God’s intervention in the natural order is effective. The study … says that praying for the health of patients from a distance is not effective in reducing complications after heart surgery.”
It isn’t necessary here to report more about the study. Suffice it to say that such studies miss the point. Prayer cannot be taken apart, analyzed or scientifically considered. Doing so is tantamount to asking a husband why he loves his wife, or a mother why she loves her children. There is no explanation for love, nor can it be taken apart and scrutinized for its effectiveness. And prayer is about love.
Why do we offer prayers of petition, of intercession? The answer is quite simple: Because Jesus does, without ceasing. Because the Holy Spirit does, without ceasing.
Intercessory prayer is prayer with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The author of Hebrews writes that Jesus is “able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) The Holy Spirit “himself intercedes for us… and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “Since Abraham, intercession — asking on behalf of another — has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy … Christian intercession participates in Christ’s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks ’not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,’ even to the point of praying for those who did him harm.” (2635)
Jesus’ eternal prayer of intercession is so perfect that even from the cross he prayed for those who harmed him. It is precisely there — on the cross — where the love behind his intercession reveals itself. Jesus longs for all people to come with him to the Father; he seeks only the best for all, and he gave his life for all. His gift of himself on the cross and his eternal prayer of intercession for us are different aspects of the one love he has for us, and his eternal intercession always points to trust in his Father’s mercy.
I love the Exodus account (chapter 17) of the Israelites’ battle with the Amalekites. As Joshua and his army fought, Moses positioned himself at the top of a hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised in prayer, Israel had the better of the fight. When he grew tired they brought a rock for him to sit on, and Aaron and Hur supported his uplifted hands until sunset, one on each side. The Israelites were victorious.
Two beautiful insights emerge from the striking image of the uplifted hands of Moses supported by Aaron and Hur. The first is how we support one another by intercessory prayer, because we are one in trust of God’s power and mercy. All of us have our share of trials and need that support.
The second insight is that as great as Moses was, he was still one of us, in need of support as he did God’s work. Jesus, on the other hand, raised his hands and allowed them to be stretched out on the cross because he was the Son of God, whose death would save us. We do not support his arms in the victory over death: his upraised, outstretched arms support us, in one eternal and effective act of intercessory prayer.
We will never go wrong joining Jesus and the Holy Spirit in interceding for those God loves — and that means everyone. God’s love cannot be analyzed, taken apart or dissected because it is pure and undivided. God’s love never goes without effect.
Prayer cannot be taken apart, analyzed
