Ask And You Will Receive

OCTOBER 06, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 464

Reading 1

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?

Responsorial Psalm

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

R. (68) 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.

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

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

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

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

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

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.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.

 

Alleluia

ACTS 16:14B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Open our hearts, O Lord,

to listen to the words of your Son.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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?”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus gives the example of a friend who is reluctant to be disturbed but who gives in under persistent requests. He says he is not that sort of friend. Rather he wants me to persevere in my requests and says that he will give me what I need but not always what I want. I ask Jesus to guide me in knowing the difference.

Human generosity and care, especially for our own children, is evident. If we can be generous surely God can too. But do I believe that God listens? 

PRAYER:

Lord, I thank you. You escort me through these difficult times of great need and uncertainty. Please increase my understanding of your loving ways. I ask now that you bestow on me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, a deeper courage, strength and joy.