Today's readings give us a wonderful lesson in our spiritual relationship with God, centered on three A-words: Anticipation, Assurance, ...
Today's readings give us a wonderful lesson in our spiritual relationship with God, centered on three A-words: Anticipation, Assurance, and Asking.
The Prophet Malachi's word is one of anticipation. He speaks of a messenger who will prepare the way for the Lord, who will suddenly come to his temple. This is not just a promise of a future event; it's a call for us to live in a state of continuous spiritual readiness. The Lord is coming—in our prayer, in the Eucharist, and at the end of time. How are we preparing the "way" in our hearts? Our faith requires an active, hopeful anticipation of God's presence and action in our lives.
But how do we live in this constant state of readiness? The Gospel tells us how: through Asking with Assurance. Jesus teaches us using two parables: the friend who shamelessly keeps knocking until he receives bread, and the example of an earthly father who will not give his child a serpent instead of a fish. This is the assurance we have when we pray! We are not bothering God; we are his beloved children. The father in the story gives a gift, but our Heavenly Father gives the best gift: the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is telling us to pray with boldness, to continue asking until we receive. It’s not about changing God's mind, but about changing us—building a relationship based on trust and persistent communication. The anticipation that Malachi speaks of is fulfilled by the assurance Jesus gives us that our Father loves us and by the grace we receive through persistent asking. Let us knock, seek, and ask with unshakeable faith, for our loving Father is always listening and eager to give us good things. Amen.
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