Gospel

Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Suppose one of you has a friend

to whom he goes at midnight and says,

'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey

and I have nothing to offer him,'

and he says in reply from within,

'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked

and my children and I are already in bed.

I cannot get up to give you anything.'

I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves

because of their friendship,

he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

What father among you would hand his son a snake

when he asks for a fish?

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

If you then, who are wicked,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit

to those who ask him?”

Reflection

Jesus first makes his disciples aware that when we need something, really want something, persistence will often produce it. But what he's really wanting us to realize is that when we pray to God and ask him to give what we need, so that we can grow and become and change, we need to be persistent in seeking and knowing and learning what the answer is.

Seek and you will find. Ask and you will receive. Knock and the door will be opened. That's a process one consistently goes through so that when we ask for something from God, we don't give up what is not there immediately, when the response isn't quick. It's not that we are testing his desire, but he's testing our work at finding and seeking and knowing the answer.

Closing Prayer

Father, bless us with an eagerness, a longing, a persistence of knowing your will for us. Knowing what answers you long to share with us when we don't know the answer. Bless us with perseverance. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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