Readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 | Romans 8:26-27 | Matthew 13:24-43

On Romans 8:26-27

This week we have only two verses from the eighth chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will” (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit comes to help us as our Intercessor. The Spirit groans and helps us to pray. The Spirit leads us into mystical prayer.

The Holy Spirit comes to help us to pray. The Spirit acts as Intercessor. Intercession means help and a bridge. Scripture Scholar Frank Matera writes, “Although this brief reading may be puzzling to many, it makes an important point about prayer and our relationship to God: left to ourselves our prayer will always be inadequate because we do not know the mystery of God. Consequently, we pray in and through the power of God’s Spirit who enlightens our understanding and strengthens our prayer by interceding on our behalf. It is the Spirit, then, that enables us to pray as we ought.”

St. Paul writes, “the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings” (Romans 8:26). Groans represent desire, mainly God’s desire for us, which evokes our desire for God. Prayer is simply wanting God alone, allowing God to love us. The Spirit helps clarify our desire as we give ourselves over to prayer, that is, simply to spend more time in prayer.

Matera comments, “The Spirit intercedes with God (whom Paul calls ‘the one who searches hearts’) on behalf of the justified with ‘inexpressible groanings.’ The groanings of the Spirit cannot be expressed in human words because the Spirit communicates with God who is mysterious and beyond all human comprehension.”

Prayer in the Holy Spirit is mystical prayer. The Spirit helps us into silence and to be present, to practice dark faith, empty hope, bare love. The Spirit makes our prayer mystical. What is mystical prayer? It is when God takes over our prayer. All we do is open ourselves in silence.

But mystical prayer won’t be an experience because the Spirit works in us in a transcendent manner. Therefore, our task is to remain in the silence of dark faith. Carmelite nun Ruth Burrows comments on prayer beyond experience: “Christian prayer is nothing other than being present to God so that God can give to us. The only thing that matters is that we believe this and stay there with Him, regardless of how we feel or don't feel…What I actually experience on my conscious level is quite unimportant. In fact I experience nothing except my poor, distracted self…My part, that little that I can do, is simply never to be discouraged, never to give up even for a few minutes…no matter if I have allowed my mind to dwell on what pleased me instead of looking into the Nothing which faith assures me is my All…The essential thing we have to do is believe in the enfolding, nurturing, transforming Love of God…We must be ready to believe that `nothingness' is the presence of divine Reality…Remember, we are casting ourselves wholly on Jesus, on his `Come!' We must give up wanting assurances either from within or without.”

Mystical prayer transcends mere experiences and raised us up in our weakness. Matera writes, “The Spirit of God comes to the aid of our weakness. With these words St. Paul assures us that the Holy Spirit enables us to do what we cannot do by ourselves. Left to ourselves, we could never understand the mystery of God that has been revealed in the crucified Christ. Left to ourselves, we could never comprehend our profound need for God’s grace and redemption. Left to ourselves, we could never understand the mysterious ways of God in our lives. This is why the Spirit of God comes to the aid of our weakness, enabling us to see and to hear, to understand and to comprehend the hidden mystery of God.”

So, let us pray! Let us surrender and sink into God. There are as many ways to pray as there are people in this world – and probably more! We need to find a practice and stick with it. Then, we allow our practice to infiltrate daily life. For, prayer is more a matter of silent awareness than constantly

thinking about God. It is more loving intention than effortful concentration. It is more a heartfelt dialogue that includes ample listening than a constant monologue of the self to God. It is just opening to God wherever and however you can. God will take care of the rest.

Mystical prayer is purely God’s gift to us. It is the gift of the divine life to us. All we must do is open ourselves beyond the mind – because God lies beyond thinking and being itself – to the gift. Practically, mystical prayer means resting from thinking to rest in God.

You are God’s child, which means you are one with God (Romans 8:14-17). Therefore, you share in the glorious freedom that is God (Romans 8:21). You realize this oneness and freedom that is the Mystery of God when you pray. You are justified - loved by and one with God, but you know it, claim it, enjoy it by prayer. For prayer always means the exercise of faith. St. Paul assures you: God justifies you in Christ by faith. Next week, we will review what St. Paul means by “justification.”