Fr Ed Homily 10-8-20

Ask Seek Knock

It all seems too easy, does it not. Just ask God for what you want. Look to God to find everything you want. Knock on the door to heaven and you will be admitted. Let us evaluate how this is working for you.

When you were young parents told you to ask God for what you wanted. And so diligently you would formulate your prayer. Your expectation would be that you would receive what you asked for the next day. When it did not happen, you were upset with God. Why did I not get what I asked for? And you would challenge your parents with the question. And they would respond that you must pray for it more than just once. So, you would offer your prayer that night expecting to get what you wanted the next day. When it did not happen, you were upset with God. Now your parents tell you that famous three-part answer. God answers all prayers, sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes not now. They probably also told you that if you really wanted something it would take many times of praying, as if you could sway God’s mind.

As you grew and your faith matured, you learned that it was not only important to ask God but that you had to seek Him, too. In this case, seeking meant to understand what God’s Will is for you. And your prayer life changed to accommodate this seeking phase. Perhaps you added the phrase, this is what I want but I will accept your will. And if you still did not get what you asked for you would resort to the knocking: Hey, God! Are you listening! I am asking down here!

Prayer is spiritual communication with God. It is the same process: ask, seek, and knock. As you pray are you listening to what you are asking of God? Would you want someone to ask that of you? As you pray are really seeking God’s Will or are you just demanding. A humble heart knocks not by demanding but accepting gratefully what God has already given you. Gratitude is the gentle knocking God listens for, not your braggadocio. As you grow in faith your prayer life will also mature. Asking and seeking for God’s Will also changes as you change. Take a moment and reflect on last year. Having gone to mass all year, how has your faith grown? How has your prayer life changed? If you are putting yourself into your prayer life with a focus on God you should be able to say you have experienced a change. If not, this is the time to start.

May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen