Daily Readings - Thu Oct 07 2021
Luke
5And he said to them: "Which of you will have a friend and will go to him in the middle of the night, and will say to him: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves6because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey to me, and I do not have anything to set before him.7And from within, he would answer by saying: ‘Do not disturb me. The door is closed now, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give it to you.8Yet if he will persevere in knocking, I tell you that, even though he would not get up and give it to him because he is a friend, yet due to his continued insistence, he will get up and give him whatever he needs9And so I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you10For everyone who asks, receives. And whoever seeks, finds. And whoever knocks, it shall be opened to him11So then, who among you, if he asks his father for bread, he would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he would give him a serpent, instead of a fish12Or if he will ask for an egg, he would offer to him a scorpion13Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good things to your sons, how much more will your Father give, from heaven, a spirit of goodness to those who ask him?
Sermon
The Gospel today presents us with a vivid parable about persistence in prayer, a teaching that Jesus uses to encourage His disciples to trust in God’s generosity. The parable describes a man who, despite being inconvenienced by a friend’s late-night request for bread, eventually relents because of the friend’s persistence. Jesus then connects this to prayer, assuring us that if even a reluctant human friend will respond to persistence, how much more will our heavenly Father, who is infinitely good and loving, respond to our persistent prayers. He emphasizes that God, unlike humans, will never give us something harmful but will instead give us the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift of all.
This teaching comes in the context of Jesus’ broader instruction on prayer, which is rooted in the understanding that God is a loving Father who desires to give good things to His children. The parable challenges us to reflect on our own approach to prayer. Do we pray with the kind of persistence and trust that Jesus is encouraging? Or do we give up easily when our prayers seem unanswered? The passage reminds us that prayer is not about wearing God down but about deepening our relationship with Him and trusting in His love and providence.
In our daily lives, this teaching invites us to embrace a spirit of perseverance and faith. When we face challenges or uncertainties, we are called to bring them before God with confidence, knowing that He hears us and desires to provide for us in ways that align with His will. This doesn’t mean that every prayer will be answered as we expect, but it does mean that God is always working for our good, even when we don’t see it immediately. Let us, therefore, approach prayer with persistence, trust, and openness to the ways God chooses to answer us.