Reading 1
Mal 3:13-20b
You have defied me in word, says the LORD,yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”You have said, “It is vain to serve God,and what do we profit by keeping his command,And going about in penitential dressin awe of the LORD of hosts?Rather must we call the proud blessed;for indeed evildoers prosper,and even tempt God with impunity.”Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,and the LORD listened attentively;And a record book was written before himof those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,my own special possession, on the day I take action.And I will have compassion on them,as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.Then you will again see the distinctionbetween the just and the wicked;Between the one who serves God,and the one who does not serve him.For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,And the day that is coming will set them on fire,leaving them neither root nor branch,says the LORD of hosts.But for you who fear my name, there will arisethe sun of justice with its healing rays.
Gospel
Lk 11:5-13
Jesus said to his disciples:“Suppose one of you has a friendto 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 journeyand I have nothing to offer him,’and he says in reply from within,‘Do not bother me; the door has already been lockedand 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 loavesbecause of their friendship,he will get up to give him whatever he needsbecause 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 snakewhen 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 Spiritto those who ask him?”
Meditation:
Luke 11:5-13
What is faith if it isn’t teamed with trust and persistence? Nothing more than wishful thinking.
Jesus illustrated this truth by telling a parable about a man who wouldn’t go away until his neighbor had given him what he needed. The point is clear: God wants us to be persistent in presenting our needs to him. When he doesn’t give us our request right away, it’s not because he is too busy or doesn’t care about us. Often, he lets us wait because he knows that persistence pays off, not only in truly appreciating what we receive but in building us up in holiness and faith. As St. Paul wrote: “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3-5).
It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t receive an answer right away. But Jesus urges us to keep knocking; he promises that he will open the door.
When God delays in giving us answers, it may be because he wants to teach us to reverence him. He is good, holy, and righteous. He is worthy of our trust and obedience, regardless of the path that our lives take. God wants our foundation to be his presence in our hearts, not the ups and downs of daily living. If we focus our attention on who God is and on his unfailing love, even as we are waiting for his answer, we will experience his power in our lives—sometimes in very surprising ways. Like the persistent friend whose neighbor finally gave him the bread that he had asked for, we will receive the blessings and provisions we need for every situation.
It’s through our faithfulness and persistence that God can shape us and make us more and more like his Son. As we wait on him, we learn to trust him, even when there seems to be no hope. And in trusting him, we grow in faith, confident that our Father will care for us. Just as Jesus promised, we will see that our Father will not give us a snake when we ask for a fish or a scorpion when we ask for an egg. No, he will give us all good gifts according to his wisdom and love!
“Father, I trust that as I persist in prayer and obedience, you will pour out your Spirit on me to form me after the image of your Son, Jesus.”
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