Reflection for October 8 Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:5-13

Gospel: 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?”

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Reflection:

How persistent are we in our prayers?

When we bring our prayers and petitions before Jesus, do we continue praying with faith and trust, or do we easily give up when our prayers seem unanswered? Sometimes, we become discouraged because we feel that Jesus does not hear us. We may even wonder whether our prayers are reaching Him.

However, these are the moments when we need to hold on to our faith even more firmly. Instead of giving up, let us persevere in prayer, trusting that Jesus hears us and knows what is best for us. Faith is an essential foundation of our prayer life. When we pray for healing from an illness, let us ask Jesus to help us overcome our difficulties, or bring before Him something we deeply desire, let us continue praying with a humble and trusting heart.

We may not always receive the answers we hope for or in the way we expect, but prayer is never merely about asking Jesus to grant our wishes. It is also about strengthening our relationship with Him, learning to surrender our worries to Him, and allowing His grace to sustain us through life's trials.

In our Gospel, Jesus tells us the story of a man who goes to his friend's house in the middle of the night to ask for bread for a visitor. Despite the inconvenient hour, the man continues asking until his friend responds to his request. His persistence reminds us of the importance of perseverance when we bring our needs before the Lord.

If we can persist in asking others for help when we have an urgent need, how much more should we persevere in prayer as we turn to Jesus, who invites us to approach Him with confidence and trust?Jesus assures us in our Gospel: “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” (Luke 11:9–10).

These words remind us that we must never allow discouragement to silence our prayers. When we are sick, let us pray. When our families are facing difficulties, let us pray. When we are burdened by financial problems, uncertainty, loneliness, or trials that seem too heavy to bear, let us continue bringing everything before Jesus. Even when we do not immediately see the answers we desire, we can remain confident in His love and trust in His wisdom and perfect timing.

Let us remember that perseverance in prayer does not mean forcing Jesus to grant our wishes. Rather, it means remaining faithful to Him, even when His answers differ from our expectations. Sometimes, through prayer, our circumstances change; at other times, Jesus strengthens our hearts, deepens our faith, and gives us the grace to endure what we cannot immediately change. Whatever we are going through, let us never forget that we can always turn to Him.

Do we have a prayer that we have been bringing before Jesus for a long time? Have we become tired of waiting, or have we allowed disappointment to weaken our faith? Let us begin again today. Let us approach Jesus with humble hearts, persistent prayers, and unwavering trust.

May our prayers come from the depths of our hearts and souls, and may we learn to remain faithful not only when we receive what we ask for but also when we are called to wait.— Marino J. Dasmarinas