In the lives of sports figures, exercise is a daily business. In the lives of those in the acting profession rehearsals are more frequent than glitzy parties. For those serious about their calling, time is given to perfect the acquired and innate skills required to attain success and good fortune. In the readings for today's liturgy, specifically the selection from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn something about an early Church figure, Apollo. Even though an "eloquent speaker" and "an authority on the Scriptures," he strengthened his skills through the assistance of two personal trainers, Priscilla and Aquila. These men explained to Apollo more accurately the Way of God. They worked with Paul in Corinth, pictured above.
In John's gospel Jesus continues his personal training of the disciples. "...whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you." Furthermore he promises that what they ask for they will receive so that they might live in complete joy. This is Jesus, the personal prayer trainer, teaching how to pray, how to strengthen life with a unique joy, a sense that comes through daily spiritual exercises, especially prayer.
Jesus teaches that prayerful petition should be asking strength in doing the will of God. Remember, in the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples, he told them to pray to the Father that "thy will be done," and the He provide daily bread. Also he taught that we should pray for strength to overcome challenges put before us in temptations.
