Further teachings on prayer

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? REFLECTION One of you has a friend. We have varying levels of friendship with others. With most people we are not so close, but some we consider our “best friends forever” (BFF). The latter are those on whom we can count in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, especially when all others have abandoned us. They are also our “friends in the night” whom we cannot refuse no matter how deep into the night they come or no matter how tired we are! We simply cannot say “no” to them as they cannot refuse us either.

Think of the heavenly Father as many times (to say the least) more gracious, more open, more forgiving than these “BFF” of ours! That is the kind of God we have.

The parable emphasizes persistence, but among BFF, there is even no need for knocking repeatedly.