Lenten Reflection - Day 8 - the power of Prayer

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in his homily this morning, Fr. Doug stated that, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, there are two ways to petition our Father in heaven. This is my paraphrasing of what he said. The first is a spiritual petition, in which we ask for God's grace to grow in virtue and live a moral life, to grow in our prayer life and spirituality so we may grow closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to seek the path of salvation always. The second is petitions for things of this world - health, "our daily bread", jobs, etc. As I reflected on what he said, I believe that our spiritual petitions help us face the challenges that led to our petitions for things of this world because of the outpouring of God's grace upon us.

When we pray, let us pray like Queen Esther, with humble and contrite heart, trusting and confident in God's promise and that He always keeps His promises. In other words, do we believe and trust what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tells us in today's Gospel: " "Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. . . how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him."

Prayer is one of the pillars of our Lenten observances. Many of us do not pray until we find ourselves holding on by a thread. But when we do, we will find that Jesus has been waiting for us all along, desiring to hear from us, to tell us that everything will be okay. We will find that this is really what we needed to hear all along - that everything will be okay.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which one of you would hand his son a stone

when he asked for a loaf of bread,

or a snake when he asked for a fish?

If you then, who are wicked,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your heavenly Father give good things

to those who ask him.

"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

This is the law and the prophets."