Knock, and the Door will be Opened to You.

Readings: 1^st: Gal 3:1-5; Ps: Lk 1:69-70,71-72,73-75; Gos: Lk 11:5-13

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico, the island of enchantment. He is the Chancellor of the Dioceses of Fajardo-Humacao, Puerto Rico; the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canovanas and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. For more details and comments contact him at:  canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Today, the Thursday of the twenty-seventh week of ordinary time, Christ continues his discourse on the importance of prayer. Earlier, at the humble request of one of his disciples, he taught them how to pray.

In today’s gospel, using a parable, Christ emphasized the need to persevere in prayer. He said: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”

With this parable, Christ teaches us that prayer is a necessary tool for success and tells us never to give up but preserver in prayer to God at moments of need and distress in life.

Unfortunately, most of us do not persist in prayer, yet we want mountains to be moved on our behalf. The reason is simple. Some of us have lost faith in prayer, and consequently, in God.

If we must achieve any success in our mission, our prayer life must be revived, and we must burn with the zeal to pray. Prayer is a “project” that accomplishes much. It is also a thing of the spirit that requires patience.

Hence, Paul reminds us that: “We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes for us in groans that words cannot express” (Rom 8:26). So, we must continually ask the Spirit of Jesus to help us to pray.

Prayer breaks barriers and brings down the power of God. Jesus himself started his ministry with prayer and ended it with prayer.

Our God never sleeps. He knows when, where, and how to respond to us. Therefore, we must not give up the habit of praying and interceding for one another because prayer unlocks the heart of God.

If we persevere in prayer, we shall gladly testify: “On the day I called, Lord, you answered me” (Ps 138:3).

Peace be with you all.

Maranatha!