Thursday 10 October 2024

Today is Thursday the 10th of October in the 27th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra sings, ‘Every Little Song’. Is there a song from your heart that you could offer God today? Perhaps in the same way a child might sing a song to a parent… If I knew the words You wanted If I knew Your favourite tune I would practice for a while And I'd sing a little song for You And if my heart was like King David's Would I know the words to choose Would You ask me to your throne room To sing my little song for You And so receive my words And so receive my tunes They are my best They are my first fruits Until I see Your face In heaven’s great great view These little songs are what I have for You They are the best that this little child can do So for now receive my heart through Every little song Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 11:5-13 And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ Jesus teaches us to call God ‘Father’. This calls for a father-child relationship between us and God. How does this make you feel? You may or may not have experienced a father’s loving care in your life. Jesus tells us that ‘the heavenly Father’ cares and much more so than the earthly fathers who are not perfect. Can you think of a time when you experienced the heavenly father’s loving care for you? In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples against imitating the hypocrites’ prayers. He talks against babbling as the gentiles do [Matthew 6:5-7]. Prayer is not about using many words. Prayer is a relationship which is experienced and expressed as personally as the person praying can be. We have to be who we are in any relationship and that is what Jesus is offering us. Listen now to the reading again. How would you like to experience and express your relationship with God? What about with fellow human beings? Jesus says, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you’. Be as open and as honest as you can now, and ask for whatever you need from God today. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.