Luke 11: 1-13

When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”

So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way: ‘Father, help us to honour your name. Come and set up your kingdom. Give us each day the food we need. Forgive our sins, as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And keep us from being tempted.’”

Then Jesus went on to say: Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don’t have a thing for him to eat.” And suppose your friend answers, “Don’t bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed.
I cannot get up to give you something.”

He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.

So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg?

As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.

Gospel Reflection

The first gift of prayer is to know the love of God. I have never left prayer the poorer than when I went.

Prayer increases our trust in God. That he wants our good and is with us in love. Sometimes giving something very specific but never giving nothing. Mother Teresa’s prayer times were full of darkness but this darkness gave her the energy to love the very poor.

So pray for what you need and then leave the prayer with God, to be answered as he can. We can ask with a full heart, hoping for an answer, but knowing always we can trust in our God in Jesus Christ.

If we wonder if we are praying right, we look for the fruits in our lives. If we receive the Holy Spirit in prayer we will find mercy, generosity and love appealing to us, and try to live that way.