Thursday October 8, 2026

Luke 11:5-11

So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him

I know I have told this story a thousand times so please indulge me one more time. A number of years ago I was at a restaurant In Bardstown Ky with Fr. Tuan Do. He had invited me to give a spiritual talk to the Students at Bethlehem High School. After the talk he wanted to treat me for lunch. So off we went into this restaurant. As we approached the restaurant I realized I had not taken my priest collar off. Almost everyone stared at us. Tuan said “take if off..” You see this was a time when every week there was a new story about the priest sexual abuse. Wearing the collar in those days was risky business if I can say. Anyway this woman sitting opposite us was staring at me intensely. After a while she got up and came towards me. No smile just a stare of death. She handed me a napkin that she had written on and stormed out.

I nervously opened the napkin and my heart dropped. In part it said “ … I am not a believer, my life and family are a mess… please pray for me I am at the end of my rope… just one minute of peace would be nice”

She was knocking the heavens for one minute of peace. Today our Lord says ask and it shall be given. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed for her and wish I had gotten up from my chair to talk to her. What if Fr Do and I were an answer to her prayers that day. Yes she was not a believer but what if God was a believer in her. I like this thought, God is a believer of you!!!

Anyway ask then wait in faith.