Symphonein

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The Power of Prayer

Again, [amen]  I say to you, if two of you agree [Greek: symphonèin] on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.  (Matthew 18:19). The Greek verb symphonèin, "to agree, to vibrate simultaneously, to sound as in tune", is translated into Hebrew as haià lèv ‘echad  (to be one heart-mind) and into Aramaic with the root shw' (to become equal).

Jesus reveals us a secret, one of the most beautiful, one of the greatest ones. It is a secret that is the core of the long research of all mankind that, in its  relationship with God, wants to understand and know what the prayer is, how we can truly pray and how praying unites man to God and God to man. Now Jesus with his proverbial yet unpredictable simplicity reveals us the secret. He reveals us that before God the core and power of a prayer  lies in that if two of you agree on earth. The spiritual agreement among those who are to pray together is the power of the prayer itself. But what is the meaning of agreeing while praying since it is so important and crucial to be the very essence of any community prayer and to be the precondition for the divine response?
The Gospels translate "if two of you agree", but it does not fully correspond to the Greek text. It is a necessary simplification of a term whose semantic field is so deep and vast that it cannot find precise correspondence in our language. Symphonèin is the verb translated as "to agree". In the Bible it is used twelve times.
In Genesis (14:13) it refers to the relationship and alliance among Abraham's closest friends, in the First Book of Kings (12:8) it is used when King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, refuses the opinion of the elderly related to his father and he turns to his mates, his childhood friends, who now have become his servants. Moreover, it is the verb used to describe the extraordinary moment when all the people or all the army camped in an area, as one body, as one single being, thus producing a sound similar to a thunder. In Daniel (3:5.7.10.15) this verb describes the unimaginable and powerful sound and visual effect of thousands of instruments, all those which were known at that time, playing all together by order of King Nebuchadnezzar. Every day, at the same time, from every corner of the empire, all the instruments had to agree to play and sing to the golden statue erected by the king as a new deity.

Thus symphonèin, "to agree", does not just mean to agree with someone, to have the same idea, to think the same way. It expresses a wider meaning, it means a combining tune, a complete symphony of hearts, souls and actions. A complete symphony that comes from acknowledging that we are all "childhood friends", that we have the same origin and genesis before God, recognizing that we are all sons and friends, all allies against the evil.
Complete symphony is the very expression of the soul, the outburst of singing and sound, it is the perfume of the heart of a people that all together, as one arm, one eye, one breath, sings and prays to his Lord and God.
The Greek text of the Gospel uses this powerful word to help us understand that, to pray to the Lord together, we must turn to Him totally united between us, because we all were born together from the same Father, and we are allies and friends each other with respect to life and  love. Although we are all different, we must turn to Him as we were one, as one body and one mind, perfectly tuned to the same harmony of God's will.
The agreement does not happen by tuning human wills, but because all hearts are loving the same divine Spirit and are obeying to the Father's will itself. Like millions of eyes looking towards the same light, like millions of arms and legs moving in harmony for the same work to do, like lots of musical instruments and voices which, while playing and singing different tunes, become as one for the "symphony" that the orchestra director wants to play.
Can the human mind conceive a better word to the essence of the Church and of the Christian community both in its diversity and unity?
We could say that, when it is really passionate and "in tune" with the harmony of the divine will, the complete symphony of the hearts and desires of the believers becomes true prayer, true perfume for the Lord and the Lord can only "agree "with the wishes of His sons and thus "give" to them all they asked.

PEOPLE IN PRAISE PROPOSES "SYMPHONEIN"

Symphonèin is a synchronized prayer service already proposed by People in Praise on   7^th April, 2012, Holy Saturday.
On the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, WEDNESDAY 15^TH AUGUST 2012, at 5:00 pm, People in Praise is pleased to repeat this proposal. Everyone who wishes to join in can synchronize in prayer wherever and with whomever they please. Click here to read the outline containing all texts, songs and suggestions (also downloadable in .pdf format and printable).

Give us, Lord, the power of this prayer in complete symphony.

IMPORTANT
Please note that praying and singing praise to Lord, both individually or in group, is an inner, spiritual experience. Therefore, any audio-video recording and subsequent public or private release completely falsifies its value, misinterprets its sense, nullifies its efficacy. During Symphonein, on the web site of People in Praise no online or streaming event will take place.

Everyone who organizes any similar experience whatsoever referred to People in Praise, or who uses its contents, is bound to respect the terms given above.