＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Galatians 3:1-5

How foolish you are,

Galatians! How could they bewitch you after Jesus Christ has been presented to you as crucified? I shall ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by the practice of the law, or by believing the message? How can you be such fools: you begin with the Spirit and end up with the flesh!

 

So, you have experienced all this in vain! Would that it were not so! Did God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because of your observance of the law, or because you believed in his message?

 

Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, he has come to his people.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived, and I have nothing to offer him.' Maybe your friend will answer from inside, 'Don't bother me now; the door is locked, and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything.

 

But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need.

And so I say to you, 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened.

 

If your child asks for a fish, will you give him a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion? If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Persistence and Trust."

Today's Gospel teaches us about persistence and trust.

The Gospel passage contains two parts: persistence in prayer (vv. 5-8) and the answer to the prayer of the one who asks in trust (vv. 9-13). Persistence and trust are inseparable. Whenever we pray persistently we keep trusting that we shall receive what we ask for. Moreover, we can only ask a person for something when we have a degree of trust with that person.

 

If we are persistent and we truly trust the Lord, he will give us the best of gifts. Today's Gospel tells of the heavenly Father giving the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Instead of giving "good gifts" as Matthew's Gospel recounted (cf. Mt 7:11), Luke tells that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. It implies that God always wants what is best for us.

 

When we receive the Holy Spirit, our life will be filled with good gifts from God. Our life will be filled with spiritual gifts, which include the virtues of persistence and trust. We will be persistent in prayer and more trusting in God's goodness and generosity.