The Gospel for Thursday of the 27th week in Ordinary Time is taken from St. Luke 11:13. 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 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 his 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. The one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks the door is 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 things to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy spir it to those who ask him? What Luke is reminding us is how persistence is very essential when we deal with the things of God. When we ask for something, it is not simply expecting an answer right away and everything is fixed. It’s a work that we enter into with Him.

We seek and we look for things. We open doors and find other ways of handling something. We consistently go back over and over to what is possible as a way of working through whatever we pray for. It’s a process, not just a quick fix. Satan Satan. Satan.

Sam Foreign Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, when we turn to you and ask for an answer, ask for directions. Give us patience. There are so many things that work together to make a decision and we need your help and you need our time. So bless us with perseverance and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.