A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (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?”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection: God answers prayers.
After three years of marriage, my beloved Lillybeth and I decided that we were ready to have a child. However, over the months we experienced challenges to conceive. We resorted to meeting with a doctor, reading self-help books, watching videos, counting days, and desired to conceive through natural means.
Having experienced a year of no positive results, feeling frustrated, stress, and the sadness of not having a child, we decided to let go and surrendered everything to God. We made a decision that resorting to other means was not an option and we did not feel it was right to do. So, we lifted our desires for a child daily in prayer, as we left our concerns completely up to God’s will.
To our surprise a month later, we experienced great joy with our first pregnancy, only to have a miscarriage after the eighth week. We grieved, but remained faithful as we continued to pray daily and trusted in God’s will and timing.
Three months later we were ecstatic to learn that we were pregnant again. With profound gratitude and thanksgiving, our daughter Monica came in to our lives that same year after five years of marriage.
God answers our prayers. God knows what is best for us. He knows what we need even before think of them or even before we lift up our petitions in prayer.
The answer we receive may be a “yes”, a “no”, or a “not yet”. Sometimes God’s yes will be exactly as we requested, or sometimes God’s yes will not be what we expected, yet we realize later that it is actually what we needed.
Sometimes God’s answer will be a no or a not yet. Maybe our request could be harmful to us, or too much for us, or there is something better coming along in the future.
Brothers and sisters! When we pray, it will be best for us to remember that God does not answer prayers like putting coins in a vending machine. I think that the key is to pray daily with humility, and to ask for God’s will to be done as He knows best. To also ask God to increase our faith as we lift up our needs, and trust in His holy will.
We may not always receive what we request, but remember that God loves everyone so very much. He knows what we need and do not need. God knows what is best for us, and cares for everyone with great love. Our Lord Jesus journeys with us daily through the Holy Spirit, and God will answer prayer in His time. Put our trust in His holy will.
Action for the Day:
Reconcile ourselves with God. Ask forgiveness for all our shortcomings. In silent prayer, humbly ask our Lord Jesus to increase our faith as we lift up our daily petitions and pray for God’s will to be done!
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