Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Matthew 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.

"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”

Reflection

Ask, seek and knock could be read simply as emphasis. Like. Really ask. Ask again. Really, really ask. But there are three very different things. When you ask God for something, you need to pay attention for the answer to come to you. It's not just boom automatically you pray and boom, you get an answer.

That can happen, but more likely it's simply a need to ponder how the answer is going to come. And that's the work of seeking. And then knocking is when you find the new insight, then it's going to be opening a whole new world to you. So wonder and ponder with me what it means to really ask and to seek and to knock.

The Closing Prayer

The closing prayer. Father, your heart is filled with a desire to teach, to awaken, to lead. Help us, never to not pay attention to the ways in which you have chosen to communicate with us. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Reflections Archives

Kyle Cross