Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 6, 2016 - Thursday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gal 3:1-5 and Luke 11:5-13]"If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." [Luke]
I doubt that anyone would argue with the idea that prayer is an essential element of any healthy spiritual life. It is the manifestation of faith and a recognition of our dependence on God. What many people seem to struggle with, however, is whether or not God "cares enough" to come and rescue us from whatever dilemma we are facing or insure the outcome of a particular effort. Can we trust God enough to involve God in our life. Jesus, in today's gospel scripture, tells us that God does care and that God's response will be the appropriate one, even if we don't recognize it as such.
There is an Arab proverb: "Trust in God, but tie up your camel at night." We have to do our part. I love the old story about the pastor who prayed night and day for years to win the lottery so he could build a new church. Finally, one night, an angel appears to him and says, "God has heard your prayer. God's response is, "Gimme a break! Buy a ticket!" We must not only be persistent in prayer but we must give God something to work with. Miracles are not the ordinary way. AMEN