What's the Question?

Thursday of the Twenty seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Readings for Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gal 3:1-5

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Gospel Lk 11:5-13

Homily:

Just in case you are wondering after having read the passage from Galatians, other translations use the words foolish and senseless in the place of “stupid”. Paul continues to fight the Hebrew members of the Galatian community who are continuing to hold up the Law of Moses as supreme over the new covenant the Lord has brought.

In a very real sense, things have not changed, where faith is concerned, to this day. Look at the reaction of many members of our faith community when even minor changes are introduced to our worship. Now imagine a people who now must face a radical change. Even though they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit, they were trying to revert to their old ways of thought. Is it any wonder Paul goes on a bit of a tear? Sometimes it’s even hard for us, all these years later, to remember that Jesus changed everything.

We come now to St. Luke’s Gospel. We actually are given the Gospel twice today. The first time it is in the form of the Responsorial Psalm where we hear the front part of the Canticle of Zachariah as he prophesies about the coming of Jesus and the great gift that is for all of us.

In the continuing story of Jesus return to Jerusalem we hear the familiar phrase; “…ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened”. The Lord frames that offer and assures us with a brief analogy; asking if a child asked for fish, would his loving father give him a snake or if he asked for an egg would he give him a scorpion?

On the surface it sounds like if we ask God for anything, he will just give it to us. And, if we quit reading the scripture right there, we could set our selves up for a real disappointment later. God does not just swoop down and grant wishes like some gene in a bottle. Just because we want something, even something good, does not mean that we automatically get it. God has his own purpose and time.

If we look at the very end of the scripture passage we see; “…how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Even in the parallel passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew (Matthew 7:11) he qualifies the answers to prayers with “…give good things to those who ask him.”

God did not give us life to live it for us. He did not create us as slaves, he gave us free will. He did not create the earth and all that is in it to constantly reshape it for our safety. However, we are given the Holy Spirit free for the asking. That spirit supports us in times of difficulty and gives us strength in the face adversity. All we need to do is ask from our hearts and it is ours. Come Holy Spirit.

Pax