Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Insistent Prayer
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
To the prophet Malachi and the pious Jews, the apparently happy life of sinners was a scandal. To them, who practiced their faith, God seemed absent and not listening to their prayers. But God will hear them and do justice to each on the day of judgment. Christ tells us to persevere in our prayers. God hears and will give what we need.
Luke tells us that Jesus prayed often. And insistently, as in 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.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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 you this 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
9 October 2025
Prayer does not change God’s mind!
The Gospel today invites us to reflect on the parable of the friend who comes knocking at midnight. In the culture of Jesus’ time, hospitality was sacred. A traveller arriving late at night could expect not just food, but abundant care. Yet the man in the story found himself unprepared, his cupboards bare. Out of desperation, he goes to his neighbour, knocking with shameless persistence until he receives some bread.
At first glance, we might think Jesus is telling us to pester God until He gives in. But that is not the lesson. This is a parable of contrast. If even a reluctant neighbour, disturbed at midnight, finally rises to help, how much more will our loving Father in heaven respond to His children? God does not answer grudgingly; He answers out of infinite love.
The Gospel of Luke reminds us that the Lord is not indifferent to our struggles. “Because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1: 78-79). God knows our needs before we ask. He is not a stranger behind a locked door, but a Father whose heart is always open.
Still, Jesus calls us to persistence in prayer. Why? Because true prayer is not about changing God’s mind but opening our hearts. Persistence purifies our desires, tests the sincerity of our faith, and draws us closer to the Father. Every prayer is answered—sometimes with the gift we ask for, sometimes with a greater gift we did not expect.
So let us pray with trust, not as beggars at a closed door, but as beloved children who know their Father’s love. With confidence, we can say: if we ask, we shall receive; if we seek, we shall find; if we knock, the door will indeed be opened.
Knocking on God’s Door…
There are so many “ifs” in today’s Gospel… and there are so many “ifs” in our daily lives. Some of them are the “ifs” of lost opportunities, of things that had we done them, we believe our lives would be much better…or worse. There are the “ifs” of our wishes, of what I will be able to do under the circumstances that I imagine in my mind… Some are a bit mundane “If I earn a lotto prize…if I get a pay rise…” Some even unprincipled “If I pass this exam that I haven’t prepared…if my fraud is not discovered…” Others are born out of love and concern for friends and family “If my son, my wife, a friend recover their health…”
Today’s Gospel is an invitation to trust in God, and do it enthusiastically, to remind God again and again that we want bread and eggs and gifts… we know he is a merciful father who is willing to give us the best of all gifts, the Holy Spirit. Often, when we pray, we may insist once or twice, some even thrice… Jesus says today: do not get tired of insisting until the job is done. The power of perseverance starts, for a Christian, in prayer; Pray until God gets annoyed by you, says Jesus; don’t feel ashamed of disturbing God! Be like Abraham in front of Sodoma, 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 importune God. When in our life and words we show disdain for the law, forget the needs of our neighbors, when are proud and comfortable in our wickedness and let it become ordinary… Those are the words that God can’t stand.
As Christians, the power of prayer gives us the opportunity to stand in front of God’s door anytime we wish to. So, today, what are you knocking on God’s door?