"Ask (and ask and ask) and You Will Receive" - 17th Sunday Homily

Ask and you'll receive.

Remember talking to a friend about parenting?

He and his wife raised eight children.

And now these children are adults and they are all eight of them, a practicing Catholics.

Amazing family, known them for many years and just the love and the mutual respects, it's just all good in their family.

his kids just loved him and his wife.

And so just asked them, is it really hard when you have to say no to them?

He's like, I almost always say no to them.

Rarely do I say yes.

And then think about that, how did those nos become yeses?

The kids figured out, all right, we can't just ask for what we want.

You can say no.

So let's ask for what we need.

Or somebody said last night, or they just went to mom not to get a yes.

Or they just asked and asked and asked until they wore him down.

When Jesus' disciples ask him to teach him to pray, he cites parents about knowing what's good, to give good gifts to your children.

How much more will the Father of Heaven give to those who ask Him?

That's all the asking.

We have different models of asking the Father in heaven when we pray.

We have Abraham, the first reading, who shows not only respect to God in every ask, but there's a relationship there, like my friend with his children.

The asking is just part of it.

It's a two-way street.

It's give and take.

It's ask and answer.

Asking is just part of it.

So when we ask ourselves three questions, first is, how do I ask God in prayer?

Am I like Abraham?

And it's just part of the relationship, and I show respect when I ask?

And it's uh a mutual respect, it's a strong relationship.

Or, like when I was first starting college, it was a one-way street, I only prayed when I needed something.

Second, how often do I ask?

Jesus uses the word daily.

He teaches us to pray the Our Father, the Lord's Prayer, give us each day our daily bread.

Daily bread, Vincent, is not just an allusion to the Eucharist, an awesome day to make your first communion, but also the daily concerns of life.

That Jesus is commanding us, commanding us.

We think the commandments are just like, don't do this, don't do that.

And he's saying, ask God for big stuff or small stuff each and every day.

It's good to ask God.

It's right to ask God.

He wants you to ask.

That's part of the relationship.

But of course, then we have to let him ask sometimes.

He asks, what he asks of us is ourselves and our hearts.

How should I ask is the third question, maybe the most important.

How do I ask God?

Easy answer, because it's right there in the Gospel, but difficult.

Ask the Father for the Holy Spirit.

He'll give it to you.

That's the promise.

How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

So God makes it simple for us.

It's like prayer for dummies, if you will.

Just ask for the Holy Spirit.

We hear from St.

Paul, the Spirit teaches us to pray as we ought.

Now it's hard because it's so nebulous.

We like to be in control.

We want this, we want that.

And God, I think you're going to give it to me.

You should.

But the Holy Spirit, wait, that's just an open box.

I don't know what that's going to mean.

It's going to make me like super holy.

In Church and religion, that's all it is.

No the Holy Spirit's really cool.

He's actually cooler than you and me.

To the point where we have a petition tonight for today.

We're a day, right?

This morning, sorry.

We have petition today for the air conditioning.

After last weekend and going down to the hall, we're now praying, and I think our prayers are going answer today.

So the Holy Spirit is cool like that, no pun intended, but you can ask for these needs.

Not just Church or religious needs, but daily needs, family needs, personal needs.

And the Spirit prompts us

To know what's good, to desire it, and to pursue it, to want it, to need it.

And when we have that picture of good,

When we know it's right to ask, it's good to ask, the spirit's promised to ask, then ask and ask and ask and ask.

We had Bible study the other night and a person said, tough situation with his son for many years.

He's prayed every day for 21 years for his son.

And now things are better.

And his wife went to visit his son and his son's family, and it's all good.

It's so much better.

The majority of those years praying that would get better every day, 21 years.

Asking and asking.

It's like a modern day and local St.

Monica.

who prayed every day for her son Augustine for 30 years and he became a saint.

Probably our own mothers praying every day for us, asking and asking God for what's best for us, the daily concerns, the things that come up with job or vocation or family or

relationships, setbacks, victories.

They're praying throughout.

They heard this saying, ask and you'll receive.

It's not a one-time thing.

It's not an only thing, it's part of our deep, strong relationship with God.

But absolutely ask.

Ask and ask and ask and you'll receive.