“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Luke 11:9

       Celia’s ultimate goal was to send their six children to good schools and graduate. She was not financially rich but she was a woman of prayer, had a big heart for God, and lived a simple life. Meeting the family’s basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and education kept her going.

       Home-school-home was her regular daily routine. She worked her way from being an elementary school teacher to a university Social Sciences professor, while tutoring and teaching extra loads on the side for additional income.

       In the midst of all that, she remained faithful to her prayer time and to her devotion to Mama Mary. On Wednesdays, she would wake up very early, go to Baclaran Church, pray on her knees, attend the Holy Mass, then proceed to her class. She lived a life of prayer and always held on to God for everything. True enough, Celia’s six children earned their respective degrees and now have their own families.

       That’s my mom and I’m so proud of her! She taught us that our God never sleeps. He hears our every prayer and He answers them in the way that is best for us. We just have to ask, believe and receive. Sol Saura (sol_saura@yahoo.com)

Reflection: “Faith obliterates time, annihilates distance, and brings future things at once into its possession.” (Charles Spurgeon)

For all that You have given us, thank You, Lord!

The dialogue between Abraham and God is about demonstrating His incredible mercy. God is willing to spare all for the sake of only a few people. Herein lies the heart of God for His people — He wants to save us and not destroy us. He wants to redeem us and not punish us.

Genesis 18:20-32

20 In those days, the Lord said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, 21 that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.” 22 While Abraham’s visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the Lord remained standing before Abraham. 23 Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said, “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? 24 Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city, would you wipe out the place rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” 26 The Lord replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham spoke up again, “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! 28 What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” He answered, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.” 29 But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty.” 30 Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it if I can find but thirty there.” 31 Still Abraham went on, “Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.” 32 But he still persisted: “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?” He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”

Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

R: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. (R) Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. 3 When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) 6 The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand. (R) Your right hand saves me. 8 The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

Jesus dealt with the power of sin by nailing it to the cross. By His sacrifice, sin no longer has control over us. Let us surrender our sins to the power of Christ and let His grace set us free.

Colossians 2:12-14

12 Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; 14 obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

We know how we should relate with one another. However, we often allow the evil spirit to bring doubt to our minds and hearts. We allow our sinful desires to overwhelm the truth. This has to stop. We gain nothing from delaying repentance and living as disciples of Jesus. Today may be the only time we have to do this.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

You have received a Spirit of adoption, through which we cry, Abba, Father.

Luke 11:1-13

1 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.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread 4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” 5 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, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 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.’ 8 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. 9 And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 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?”

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Tobit 12-14

SABBATH PAUSE

THANK YOU LIST

SPECIAL NEEDS

HIDDEN TREASURE

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IN JESUS’ PRAYER SCHOOL

Jesus takes us today to prayer school. We all need this. He teaches us today two attitudes that should form the background of every Christian’s prayer. One is persistence; the other confidence.

       Since we are imperfect and live in an imperfect world, we sometimes project our own imperfections onto God. We think that He, like us, is selfish, easily angered and resentful. As a result, we hesitate to open our hearts to Him in prayer.

       But Jesus tears down these misconceptions by stressing that God is our Father, better than even the best earthly fathers. If earthly fathers know how to be generous with their children, we can be sure that God is much more like that with us. He won’t give us stones when we ask for bread. Jesus makes some bold statements in this Gospel passage. He says that whoever asks will receive, whoever seeks will find, and whoever knocks will get the door opened. Did He really mean that? Haven’t we experienced times when our prayers were not answered?

     St. Augustine understood Christian prayer better than anyone. His mother, St. Monica, had spent almost 20 years begging God day and night with tears to convert her heretical and pleasure-loving son. His mother’s experience helped him understand why God doesn’t always give us what we ask for right away.

       He wrote, “Suppose you want to fill some sort of bag, and you know the bulk of what you will be given, so you stretch the bag… You know how big the object is that you want to put in and you see that the bag is narrow, so you increase its capacity by stretching it. In the same way, by delaying the fulfillment of desire, God stretches it; by making us desire, He expands the soul, and by this expansion, He increases its capacity.”

       God never ignores our prayers. If we keep on asking with sincerity and confidence in His goodness, we are guaranteed to receive, and it will probably be much more than we could have imagined. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you get impatient with God when He does not answer your prayers immediately?

Lord, sorry for the times I have been impatient when You seemingly did not answer my prayers. From now on, I will keep on asking, seeking and knocking with complete confidence. Amen.