Daily Readings - Thu Oct 10 2024
Galatians
1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?4Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing?5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Luke
5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between faith, prayer, and God’s generous love. In the first reading from Galatians, St. Paul expresses frustration with the Galatians for turning away from the Gospel. He reminds them that they received the Spirit through faith, not through works of the law. This emphasizes that our relationship with God is rooted in trust and grace, not in our own efforts or achievements. Paul’s words challenge us to examine our own faith: do we rely on God’s grace, or do we try to earn His favor through external actions?
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the power of persistent prayer through the parable of the friend at midnight. The man’s persistence in knocking eventually moves his friend to act, not because of friendship, but because of his insistence. Jesus then connects this to our relationship with God, assuring us that if even imperfect human fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. This passage reminds us that prayer is not about persuading a reluctant God but about trusting in His love and generosity. Like the persistent friend, we are called to pray with confidence and perseverance, knowing that God desires to give us what is good.
These readings together teach us to trust in God’s grace and to approach Him with boldness in prayer. St. Paul warns us against falling into the trap of self-reliance, while Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock with faith. In our daily lives, this means letting go of the idea that we can earn God’s love and instead embracing the truth that He is a loving Father who desires to give us His Spirit. May we live with the confidence that comes from knowing we are children of God, and may our prayers reflect the trust and perseverance that Jesus teaches.