“ROGATE 2024”
Saint John 16: 23-30
Rogate: 5 May Anno Domini 2024
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
Rogate, in the singular, or rogations, plural, have come to be defined as ecclesiastical (churchly) supplications, i.e., prayers. From the Latin “rogare” to ask. So today is “pray ye” (“prayer, you”) Sunday.
Jesus speaks “in that day ye shall ask me nothing.”
What does He mean? He was speaking to the “12.” He meant that when after He had died and been resurrected, He would visibly be Ascended to the right hand of majesty—the so-called “right hand” of The Father. So. Peter, James, and John, would no longer walk up to Him and ask Him things. There would be a new way of dialogue, communication, and interaction with their Lord, and yours. The Christ instructs all of His disciples to simply pray the way He specifically tasked you: “when ye pray, say: “Our Father…” In The Lord’s Prayer and in all your prayers, you pray TO The Father, IN The Son, BY The Holy Spirit. When you pray to The Father in Christ’s NAME, God hears you, and gives you that NAME. What is Messias’ name? Savior/Salvation/He saves. Thus, the perfect codicil or concluding request of all your prayers is Jesus’ wish and desire “Thy will be done.” So prayer requests are always answered by God in the perfect way possible for you; not always (maybe not even regularly) the way you want, but rather, The way God knows is best for you and your salvation—“strengthens and preserves you unto life everlasting.”
You are surrounded by the “great cloud of witnesses,” The Saints, [He. 12.1] who pray for you. Even our Symbols testify to this. The angels likewise pray for you. What God demands He also provides. When John the Baptist, Jesus, and others preach “repent and believe” God gives you The Holy Ghost so that you do! And while your “new man” delights and joys in praying, your “old man” does not like to do. You do not pray as you should. The advice given now is that you pray more. Set a specific time aside each day to pray. Start slowly and increase your daily prayer over time. No one who wants to run a marathon, half-marathon, or 10K starts from sloth to trying to do it all at the first training session. You start small, make it a habit, and then your body acclimates. The same with prayer. Paul says “be like me,” and by implication be like all the muscular Saints of old, like The Lord Himself, and pray to God and with God.
Abel prayed when he offered his sacrifice in Eden. He prayed that God would accept it in the spirit it was given—faith and thanksgiving. So, when you pray give thanks to The Lord and ask of Him more faith. It will be heard, and granted. Abraham prayed to God, he argued if you will, that The Lord would spare Sodom and Gomorrah. He was telling God that he knew God was The Merciful One. While the prayer was not granted in quite the same way as Abraham desired—it was granted. Lot and his immediate family were SAVED, were JESUSED. Moses prayed for the rebellious Hebrews, and while not all were delivered to Canaan safe and sound, a multitude of them were—by God’s Salvation. Joshua/Jesus carried them to the promised land. That too is your direction. The results are, and will be, the same. The fallen and disgrace (and blind) Samson prayed his final entreaty to God that he could be used as an instrument, A Christ, to bring down the enemies of The Truth with cruciform action. He was delivered and God’s people as well. Your prayers to be used as a tool in God’s arsenal will be answered, and, mayhaps you also will suffer that cross-like martyrdom. The Lord be praised.
David prayed to God, wrestled with Him. And though experiencing a hard, sad, and difficult life, just like yours, the king of Jerusalem, Judea, and Israel, too was saved. David would go on to write the majority of the Psalter, the prayer book of The Church, your prayer book. Solomon prayed for wisdom—Jesus is THE WISDOM of the Godhead, and thus at the end (read the final words of Ecclesiastes) Solomon also was saved by The One Who truly bore the same Name—PEACE!
And who doubts that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s prayers were fervent? In fact, they were delivered by the “fourth Man” in the furnace. One like “unto the Son of Man” was them in their fiery ordeal. Can you doubt that Jesus is with you in all of your temptations and devastating ordeals? Think of Daniel in that den of beasts. The lions (sometimes used as a representation of the devil and his demons, c.f., Saint James’ Epistle) were overcome that day in Persia by He Who is the true Lion of Judah.
But you are not Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, and kings. You are New Testament disciples. And you have countless examples of prayer found in the Evangels and the Epistles. Your examples are Peter and Paul, John, Jude, James, and all the rest.
We may not pray enough, as we “ought,” because we do not let the Scriptures have their way with us. The Spirit calls you by the Gospel and enlightens you with God’s gifts—Jesus—in the Word. So, if you are in THE WORD, you will naturally be in prayer. Prayer in that sense is simply the good work produced by faith.
Jesus gives you no proverbs this morning but gives you Himself—plainly, clearly, fully. He shows you The Father, His, and yours; He shows and gives you His Name directly and sacramentally. The Father loves you because Jesus, His Son, is placed in your ears and on your tongue. You believe and receive peace and joy by The Holy Spirit.
We are also, always mindful of Christ’s “High Priestly Prayer” in John’s Gospel, the prayer Jesus prayed on Maundy Thursday, the His Church would be one, that all the rest of the world would be brought into the glory of His Kingdom of Grace: The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. And thus, we pray earnestly and daily for all the world that The Spirit would convert them as it has us, and that our family of faith would grow and be strong in Christ.
And even as many of you pray daily The “Our Father,” the morning and evening prayers of The Reformer; and the “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest,” He is now, for you, far more than your guest—He is your server (your host) and your meal. You can pray, because He prays for you.
In The Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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