Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs
Or Optional Memorial of Saint John Leonardi, Priest
Luke 11:5-13
Prayer does not change God’s mind!

The Gospel today invites us to reflect on the parable of the friend who comes knocking at midnight. In the culture of Jesus’ time, hospitality was sacred. A traveller arriving late at night could expect not just food, but abundant care. Yet the man in the story found himself unprepared, his cupboards bare. Out of desperation, he goes to his neighbour, knocking with shameless persistence until he receives some bread.

At first glance, we might think Jesus is telling us to pester God until He gives in. But that is not the lesson. This is a parable of contrast. If even a reluctant neighbour, disturbed at midnight, finally rises to help, how much more will our loving Father in heaven respond to His children? God does not answer grudgingly; He answers out of infinite love.

The Gospel of Luke reminds us that the Lord is not indifferent to our struggles. “Because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1: 78-79). God knows our needs before we ask. He is not a stranger behind a locked door, but a Father whose heart is always open.

Still, Jesus calls us to persistence in prayer. Why? Because true prayer is not about changing God’s mind but opening our hearts. Persistence purifies our desires, tests the sincerity of our faith, and draws us closer to the Father. Every prayer is answered—sometimes with the gift we ask for, sometimes with a greater gift we did not expect.

So let us pray with trust, not as beggars at a closed door, but as beloved children who know their Father’s love. With confidence, we can say: if we ask, we shall receive; if we seek, we shall find; if we knock, the door will indeed be opened.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025