PERSISTENCE IS THE KEY
There is a purpose behind this
difficult world, a loving hand behind our lives, a gentle touch in all that we
do and a constant presence within our hearts.
In today's
Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "Blessed are they who hope in the
Lord" (Ps 40:5a). Oftentimes, things seem to come together for us because
we have come to know our heavenly Father. There is a purpose behind this
difficult world, a loving hand behind our lives, a gentle touch in all that we
do and a constant presence within our hearts. This all happens with prayer and continual
trust in God!
In the Gospel of Luke,
the disciples are posed with the scenario of an unexpected guest. This is
almost an impossible situation given the internal consternation this would
cause to the family that has gone to bed for the evening. It's a teachable
moment for us, interestingly enough, that if the person needing bread keeps
knocking on his friend's door he will eventually get what he wants. The
persistent noise will win out! You might wonder what this has to do with one's
prayer life. St. Luke is teaching that prayer demands persistence.
Our challenge today is
to keep at it and do not take no for an answer. Be bold and be persistent and
eventually you and I will be heard. Now that doesn't guarantee that our prayer
will be answered on our time line or in the way we desire. After all, it is
God's will that we want to do and our Father knows best! Prayer is a process
that we must do continually. Remember what Jesus said, "Ask, seek, and
knock, and the door will be open to you" (cf Lk 11:9). And do it again and
again!
Persistence is the
key!