Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis

Mt 7: 7-12

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations

 Surrender

Jesus gives us great words of hope in this Gospel. He says, “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.” What words of hope!

The key here is that we must must be open to God’s love. If we are not open to the love of the Lord, and living according to his commands, then the above message is meaningless. Jesus is constantly waiting for us; he stands knocking on the door of our heart. It is our job to answer that call–we must say yes to Christ and surrender ourselves to his mercy. Once we have surrendered ourselves to Christ and asked his help, all things are possible. Let the following prayer of  St. Ignatius carry us through the day.

—Jack Lupica, a senior at Saint Ignatius High School, Cleveland, OH.

Prayer

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

—St. Ignatius Loyola, click here for a downloadable prayer card