Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of
his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He
said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our
daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt
to us, and do not subject us to the final test."
And he said to them, "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 the visitor 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?"
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Reflection:
The story is told about a knight who was plotting to kill his king. While
in the process of executing his plan the knight was caught by the bodyguards of
the king. So, the knight was sentenced to die, he begged for mercy and
forgiveness from his king but the king did not listen to him.
Can you measure God’s love and mercy for you? No you can’t because God’s
love and mercy is infinite. It is not like the mercy and love that we have
towards our fellowmen which is always bounded by time, circumstances and space.
In our first reading for this Sunday we read about Abraham having a
conversation with God. While he was conversing with God he tried to measure the
love and mercy of God towards the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He asked God if
He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah notwithstanding the presence of innocent
people: God said no to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The same love and mercy of God is coursed through a story told by Jesus
in the gospel. It is about a persistent friend who never gave up asking for
three loaves of bread. By his persistence he uncovered the infinite love and
mercy of God towards him.
The same love and mercy is also available for us: We simply have to
persistently ask God, to persistently seek God and to persistently knock on the
heart of God. Sooner or later we would have what we’ve been wishing from God to
give us. Therefore, the key that would make God say yes to what we want from
Him is our persistence.
What is it that you want the Lord to give you? Don’t quit continue to
persist in prayer and you will soon have it. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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