First reading Galatians 3:1-5
You received the Spirit because you believed what was preached
Are you people in Galatia mad? Has someone put a spell on you, in spite of the plain explanation you have had of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? Let me ask you one question: was it because you practised the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you? Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit? Have all the favours you received been wasted? And if this were so, they would most certainly have been wasted. Does God give you the Spirit so freely and work miracles among you because you practise Law, or because you believed what was preached to you?
Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-75
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour
in the house of David his servant,
as he promised by the lips of holy men,
those who were his prophets from of old.
A saviour who would free us from our foes,
from the hands of all who hate us.
So his love for our fathers is fulfilled
and his holy covenant remembered.
He swore to Abraham our father
to grant us that free from fear,
and saved from the hands of our foes,
we might serve him in holiness and justice
all the days of our life in his presence.
Gospel Luke 11:5-13
Ask, and it will be given to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
Our Generous Father
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells of a friend who keeps knocking at midnight. This teaches us that prayer should not be occasional or half-hearted. We are invited to keep asking, seeking, and knocking.
Unlike the sleeping friend in the parable, God is always loving and generous. He knows what we need even before we ask, yet He wants us to bring our needs, fears and desires to Him with trust. We might find that God does not always give us exactly what we expect. Sometimes, we ask for a specific answer to our prayers, but instead, He gives us strength, patience, or peace. Above all, He gives us the Holy Spirit who helps us remain faithful in difficult times and live each day with courage and love. Let us not lose heart but keep on trusting God, for He is our good Father.
Reflective question:
Do I continue to trust in God even when He answers my prayers differently from what I expect?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
