Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Insistent Prayer
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. Like the Galatians, we fall easily prey to the perpetual temptation to create our own righteousness, to try to save ourselves by rites and practices. These give us a feeling of security. And then comes the thought, usually disguised: If I am above reproach, if I have done my duty, I am safe. In no uncertain terms Paul tells us: you are saved not by the Law but by faith in Christ.
Gospel. Luke tells us that Jesus prayed often. And insistently, as at his agony. Now he tells us that Jesus wants us too to be persevering, insistent and even bold in our prayer. For God is good. How can he resist us when we pray? He will give us not only good things but also the Holy Spirit, the gift that contains all gifts.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
when we cry out to you,
we wonder at times whether you hear us
for your silence is sometimes oppressive.
Keep us trusting in your goodness
and your constant presence.
Give us what is good when we ask you,
and also when we forget to ask,
let us find you when we seek you,
open to us when we knock,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
The Law and Faith
How foolish you are, Galatians! How could you be deceived after Jesus Christ was presented to you as crucified?
I will ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by obeying the law, or by believing the message?
How can you be such fools: you start with the Spirit and end up with the flesh!
So, you have gone through all this in vain! I wish it were not so!
Did God give you the Spirit and perform miracles among you because of your obedience to the law, or because you believed in his message?
Responsorial Psalm
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 Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to them:
“Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived, and I have nothing to offer him.’
Maybe your friend will answer from inside, ‘Don’t bother me now; the door is locked, and my children and I are in bed, so I can’t get up and give you anything.’
But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need.
And so I say to you, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
If your child asks you for a fish, will you give him a snake instead?
And if your child asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion?
If you, who are sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
Prayers of the Faithful
– For those in the Church to whom the ministry of forgiveness had been especially entrusted, that they may be uncompromising with evil, yet welcome sinners with respect and merciful love, we pray:
– For contemplative monks and nuns, that we may appreciate their life of penance and prayer and be grateful for the Lord’s blessings they obtain for us, we pray:
– For all Christians, that our prayers for the poor and the suffering may commit us more to bring them justice, to lighten their burdens and restore their dignity, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you let us experience your goodness
by giving us Jesus, your Son.
In these signs of bread and wine
we express our trust in you.
Be merciful to us and hear our prayers.
Grant us the bread of your Son
and the things we need in life
for the sake of Jesus Christ,
you Son and our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
in answer to our pleading
you have given the bread of life,
to us, your special possession.
Accept our thanks
and help us not to be deaf
to the cries of those who appeal to us.
We ask this of you through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” For God is good and he blesses you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Luke 11: 5-13
Knocking on God’s Door…
There are so many “ifs” in today’s Gospel… and there are so many “ifs” in our daily lives. In some cases, these are the "ifs" of missed opportunities, of things that we believe would have made our lives better or worse if they had been taken advantage of. There are the "ifs" of our wishes, of what we will be able to accomplish under the circumstances that I envision in my mind... Some are a bit mundane “if I win the lottery...” Some are even unprincipled: “If I pass this exam that I haven’t prepared... if my fraud is not discovered...” Those who are motivated by love and concern for their loved ones, -friends and family -such as “my son, my wife, a friend...”
In today's Gospel, we are invited to trust in God with enthusiasm, to remind God over and over again that we desire bread, eggs, and gifts, and that we know he is our merciful father who will provide us with the most precious gift of all, the Holy Spirit.
Oftentimes, when we pray, we may have to insist once or twice, and even three times... Yet Jesus tells us not to get tired of insisting in our prayers. Perseverance begins, for a Christian, with prayer. You should pray until God gets annoyed with you, says Jesus; do not feel ashamed of disturbing God with your prayers. Be like Abraham in front of Sodom, like blood-sweating Jesus in Gethsemane, like Monica praying for Augustine’s conversion.
Still, as Malachi says, we must be aware that some words truly beg before or plead with God. In our lives and words, when we disdain the law and forget to consider the needs of others around us, when we feel comfortable and proud of our wickedness and let it become ordinary, those are the words that God will not tolerate.
As Christians, we have the power of prayer at our disposal to stand at God's door at any time that we desire. Today, what are you knocking on God's door for?