Enlightened Hearts: Embracing Paul’s Prayer for the Church
October 19, 2024 - Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Ephesians 1:15-23
In today's excerpt from Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we find an example of a prayer by Paul for the Ephesian community. The prayer is inspired by the news about the community's faith and love. Together with hope, which Paul mentions later in his prayer, these three theological virtues are the foundation of Christian religiosity. Applying the statement of our Catechism about faith seeking understanding, we could say that the Ephesians desired "to know better the One in whom [they have] put [their] faith, and to understand better what He has revealed" (see CCC, 158). They also had to express their love for God through deeds of charity and help offered to those in need (see Matt. 25:37-40).
The Book of Revelation preserved for us the quality of the Ephesian community. The risen Christ praised their "works," "toil," "patient endurance" in suffering for Christ's sake, and the refusal to compromise with evil (see Rev. 2:2-3). We can ask what kind of news we hear about the Church and different Catholic communities in the world. Are we also known for our faith and love? Do we also desire to know more and more the One who loves us so much that He sent His only beloved Son to save us from the power of sin and death? Do we also express our love for God by caring for our brothers and sisters?
Paul prays for two spiritual gifts—wisdom and revelation—that would help them to know God better. Wisdom is different from knowledge or information. Wisdom means living by God's commandments and making choices that align with His will. The gift of revelation helps us to grasp the mysteries of faith that surpass human understanding. Among them are, for example, the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the salvation He accomplished by His life, death, and resurrection.
Then, Paul prays for the enlightenment of the eyes of their hearts. In the Bible, the heart is much more than emotions—it is the essence of who we are. It involves our thoughts, emotions, will, and spirituality. It's the place from which our life flows and where our relationship with God is most deeply rooted. When enlightened, the eyes of the heart can grasp the hope that the proclamation of the Gospel brings with it. Our Catechism defines it in this way: "Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit" (CCC, 1817). When enlightened, the eyes of our hearts can grasp "the surpassing greatness of his power" evident in the resurrection of Christ and His ascension at the right hand of the Father (see Eph. 1:19-20).
Paul's prayer has not lost its significance. Perhaps, the apostle continues to pray it for the whole Church while standing around the throne of Christ. But we can also make Paul's prayer our own and join Saint Paul in this prayer for ourselves and others. We all need the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and we all need the grace that would enlighten the eyes of our hearts. May the Holy Spirit open the eyes of our hearts, so we may know the hope "that belong[s] to [God's] calling," "the riches of glory in [God's] inheritance among the holy ones," and "the surpassing greatness of his power" (Eph. 1:18-19).