James 5:13–20
Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit. My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James concludes his epistle with a call to fervent prayer. Indeed, such prayer has great power. If we believed more in the power of prayer, many things could change for the better. Prayer is beneficial in any situation because it paves the way for the Lord to come to us and for us to come to Him. The Apostle reminds us that prayer also has the power to heal when the elders pray for the sick and anoint them with oil. He advises those who are sad to pray and those who are happy to sing psalms.
Because of the importance of prayer, it is worth pausing for a moment on this subject. It should be noted that the Apostle James reminds us of what the fervent and powerful prayer of St. Elijah achieved: that it did not rain for three years and six months, and that it rained again thanks to his prayer.
Many saints give us good advice on what our prayer should be like and the effect it should have on us. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi tells us: “Prayers should be simple, fervent, devout, persevering, and accompanied by great reverence. We must be aware that we are in the presence of God and are speaking to the Lord Himself, before whom the angels tremble with reverence.”
Time and again we are reminded of the uniqueness of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Pope John Paul II writes in his encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia:
“If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer”, how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brother and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!”
Our churches, though often deserted—do they not invite us to assimilate the presence of Jesus before the tabernacle? Does not the Eucharistic Lord await us there to bless us with His sweet company? We can also seek out places where the Blessed Sacrament is worthily exposed, to adore the Lord together with the angels, who delight in remaining in such sacred places.
Next, let us listen to what St. Peter of Alcantara has to say about prayer, so that it may serve as an invitation never to neglect it and to seek it with fervor:
“Prayer is the food of love, the strengthening of faith, the consolidation of hope, and the joy of the heart. It helps us discover the truth, overcome temptations, control pain, renew our resolutions, and overcome mediocrity. Prayer consumes the rust of sin and kindles the fire of love. Prayer is capable of opening heaven.”
And the following statement by the mystic St. Matilda of Hackeborn can inspire us to make prayer an essential part of our lives:
“Prayer that man performs with all his strength has great power. It sweetens a bitter heart, gladdens a sad heart, enriches a poor heart, makes a foolish heart wise, makes a timid heart courageous, strengthens a weak heart, opens the eyes of a blind heart, and kindles a cold soul. It draws the great God to a small heart and lifts the hungry soul to the God of fullness.”
This invitation to prayer, with which we conclude the series of meditations on the Epistle of James, also applies to the theme mentioned in the last verse of the letter. It concerns those who are on the wrong path. We may not have the opportunity to reach out to them personally to help them return to the right path. What we can do is pray for them with faith and confidence. This is an invaluable service that, as Catholics, we can offer to all people, thus helping them to embark on the path of conversion.
Among the many valuable pieces of advice from the Apostle James, let us deeply assimilate the exhortation to prayer so that it may become a great blessing for all humanity.
Meditation on the reading of the day: https://en.elijamission.net/2022/01/09/
Meditation on the Gospel of the day: https://en.elijamission.net/the-baptism-of-the-lord/