Pope: Jesus continues to pray for us even today showing the Father his woundsJesus has saved us, giving his life, and still continues to pray for us", and when he prays to the Father he shows "his wounds", the price of our justification, and prays for us, as if to say "Father, let this not be lost!".
This is the lesson that Pope Francis found in today's Gospel passage at Mass in Casa Santa Marta in which Jesus spends the whole night in prayer to the Father before choosing the twelve apostles.
As reported by Vatican Radio in Italian, the Pope said that "Jesus chooses his team" and soon after is surrounded by a great multitude of people "who came to hear Him and be healed" because "power came forth from him and healed them all". They are the "Jesus' three relationships", "Jesus with the Father, Jesus and his apostles and Jesus with the people."Jesus prayed to the Father for the apostles and for the people. But he still prays. "He is the intercessor, the one who prays and prays to God with us and before us. Jesus has saved us, he made this great prayer, his sacrifice, his life, to save us, to justify us: we are righteous through Him. Now he's gone, and he prays. But some say Jesus is a spirit? Jesus is not a spirit! Jesus is a person, a man, with flesh like ours, but in glory. Jesus has the wounds on his hands, feet, sides, and when he prays to the Father he shows that price of justification, and prays for us, as if to say: ' But, Father, let this not be lost".
Jesus "has our prayers" because "he is the first to pray" like "our brother" and "a man like us" he intercedes for us:
"First, he redeemed us, he justified us all: but now, what does he do? He intercedes, he prays for us. I think of what felt Peter when he denied him, and then Jesus looked at him and wept. He felt that what Jesus said was true: he had prayed for him, and for this reason could not cry, he could only repent. Often, among us, we say : 'Will you pray for me? I need it, I have so many problems, many things: Pray for me. That's good! Because we brothers we pray for one another. "The Pope urged those present to ask: "Pray for me , O Lord , You are the intercessor ." He prays for me, He prays for all of us and prays to the Father bravely because he shows the price of our justice : his wounds. We should think a lot about this, and thank the Lord . Thank you for a brother who prays with us and pray for us, intercedes for us. And when we talk with Jesus, let us tell him: ' Lord, You are the intercessor, You saved me ad justified me. But now, pray for me'. Let us entrust our problems, our lives, so many things to Him, so that He may brig them to the Father. "
So who is Jesus praying to? Catholic doctrine of the trinity says there are three persons in one God so it doesn’t make sense for Jesus to pray to God the father (they are one and the same).
24 till now ye did ask nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25 `These things in similitudes I have spoken to you, but there cometh an hour when no more in similitudes will I speak to you, but freely of the Father, will tell you.
26 `In that day, in my name ye will make request, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you,
27 for the Father himself doth love you, because me ye have loved, and ye have believed that I from God came forth;
28 I came forth from the Father, and have come to the world; again I leave the world, and go on unto the Father.'
29 His disciples say to him, `Lo, now freely thou dost speak, and no similitude speakest thou;
30 now we have known that thou hast known all things, and hast no need that any one do question thee; in this we believe that from God thou didst come forth.'
31 Jesus answered them, `Now do ye believe? lo, there doth come an hour,
32 and now it hath come, that ye may be scattered, each to his own things, and me ye may leave alone, and I am not alone, because the Father is with me;
33 these things I have spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but take courage -- I have overcome the world.'