Empowered by the Paraclete: How to pray like Paul and Silas
May 7, 2024 - Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8; John 16:5-11
The story of Christ's disciples in prison always amazes me. I suppose that if I were in their situation, I would worry about what would happen to me. My blood pressure would be extremely high, and I would not be able to sleep. In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Peter slept peacefully in prison, and Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. What made them so different from most of us? I think the answer is in the Gospel.
The word "paraclete" means "called to aid," and in the New Testament, it refers both to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The first letter of John says: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Jesus pleads our cause before the Father. He lives forever and, at the right hand of the Father, intercedes for us (see Rom 8:34). Then, in today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about sending upon us "the Paraclete" (John 16:7). This Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (see John 14:15-16).
The Holy Spirit plays an important role in relation to the world. He “will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Sin, righteousness, and judgment. John understands sin as a refusal to believe in Jesus. Righteousness was on Jesus’ side and not on the side of those who condemned him to death and crucified him (Luke 24:47). Finally, the one to be condemned is "the ruler of this world". In the Gospel of John, Jesus judged him as a murderer and a liar (John 8:44), and in the book of Revelation, he is described as the deceiver of the whole world (Rev 12:9).
But, this Paraclete also plays an important role in our prayer life. Today, the psalmist says that “in the presence of the angels [he] will sing [God’s] praise” (Ps 138:1). That is what Paul and Silas were doing on that night in that prison. But they could do it because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Later on, in the letter to the Romans, Paul would write: "For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom 8:26-27).
The outcome of that prayer and singing is mind-boggling. It brought about a severe earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, opened all the doors, loosed the bonds of all the prisoners, and led one Gentile family into faith in Jesus. If we could pray in such a manner today, we would also see incredible things happening and many people coming to faith in Christ. Our problem is that we think that we know how to pray; Saint Paul did not know. And so, we pray as we think we ought to, but Saint Paul let the Holy Spirit do the praying for him and within him.
"In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise" (Ps. 138:1). Prayer is God's gift, a mystery of faith, and a miracle. If we want to pray like Paul and Silas, we need to "humbly acknowledge that 'we do not know how to pray as we ought'". Only in this way will we be ready "to receive freely the gift of prayer" (see CCC, 2559) and begin to pray as we ought to under the direction of the Holy Spirit.