Gospel: Lk 11:1-13
JESUS was praying in a cerĀtain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, āLord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.ā He said to them, āWhen you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.ā
And he said to them, āSuppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, āFriend, 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,ā and he says in reply from within, āDo not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are alĀready in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.ā I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendĀship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
āAnd 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?ā
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In the Gospel, Jesus gives the Our FaĀther in response to a discipleās request to be taught how to pray. He says that we are to pray persistently, using the parable of the friend at midnight to illustrate this. Then he reiterates the quality of persistence and deĀclares, āAsk and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.ā (The Greek literally reads: āKeep on askingā¦ keep on seekingā¦ keep on knocking.ā)
We wonder why Abraham stops haggling at ten (First Reading). God does not show any sign of exasperation. God never stops giving; it is Abraham who stops asking.
Jesus teaches us to persevere and be perĀsistent in prayer as we dedicate our life to mission. Unlike Abraham, we need not put limits on Godās power over our life. We can haggle and keep asking because God wants to keep giving. When our best efforts are reduced to failure, Jesus admonishes us not to despair: āKeep on askingā¦ keep on seekĀingā¦ keep on knocking.ā In effect, Jesus is telling us: āItās not about you; itās about me.ā
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SOURCE: ā365 Days with the Lord 2018,ā ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.