HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
(Galatians 3:1-5, Luke 11:5-13).
Life is a journey that provides each one of us an opportunity to participate in the joy or sorrow of one another. Most often, we live helplessly alone as if life is an island without having anyone to support us. Thus, we need to have good friends that we could rely on both in difficult and in good times, and it is their faithfulness that strengthens these bonds. God is that friend that we can always depend on.
In the gospel of today, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants” (Luke 11:5-13).
Jesus tells us a parable of a friend who would not turn down the request of his friend, when asked for a favour at the middle of the night because of friendship sake. Very often, when it comes to situation such as this, we need to be sure of our closeness with the friend in question before we could worry him or her at that period of time. Even if we are very close, there will always be a feeling of rejection and hesitations.
Jesus Just finished teaching His apostles the Lords prayer and He wishes to teach them the right attitude for prayer. The friend in this parable is God. Jesus expresses the determination with which we must pray with, that is praying without hesitation and knowing that God is our friend and father.
Jesus is only teaching us to be very appreciative and to understand the extent God could go to offer good things to us as our good father who knows what is good for us. He admonished us to knock for the door shall be opened to us, ask and we shall receive, seek for we shall find.
Friendship is a beautiful thing, but we should be careful about those we choose as friends, because some friends are wolves in sheep clothing. Some friends are fare Weather friends, who may only be good to us when the going stays good. All they care about is for their needs to be met, then nothing else.
It is a blessing and a gift from God to have friends who can share in our joys and sorrows and to be with those who could impact on us positively. It is more blessings for us to realise that we have a father who wishes good for us. He listens to us when we call and answers when we are in need.
Persistence is an essential quality to prayer. When we pray to God, we should not give up when it seems that our prayers are not heard. God always have a reason to delay the answer to our prayers. Faith and confidence is required to pull through. Let us pray that, we do not loose our friendship with God through sin and that may He always draw us closer to Himself. Peace be with you.
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