October 11th, 2018

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
464

FIRST READING
GAL 3:1-5

O stupid Galatians!
Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
I want to learn only this from you:
did you receive the Spirit from works of the law,
or from faith in what you heard?
Are you so stupid?
After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?
Did you experience so many things in vain?–
if indeed it was in vain.
Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you
and works mighty deeds among you
do so from works of the law
or from faith in what you heard?

PSALM
LK 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

Response: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

GOSPEL
LK 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?”

Daily Reflection

11th October 2018

John XXIII

‘For the one who asks receives… and to him who knocks the door will be opened.’ Jesus’ words have been a source of great consolation, for many thousands, over the centuries. They instill hope and remind us that we should be persistent in prayer, stay connected with God and seek His help.

Yet, at times, it seems that God does not to listen to us. We have difficulty in accepting that God gives what is best for us and God alone knows what this is. To see more clearly, perhaps it would help to look at our lives as beautiful tapestries that God weaves with our talents and gifts. We fail to see the beauty because we view the tapestry from the reverse – our side of the picture - while God sees it in all its glory. So, too, with the responses we receive to our prayer – we fail to see their goodness because we look with mortal eyes.

And this is why we must stay steadfast in prayer, not for our material needs but for hearts that remain attuned to God.