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Ask and it shall be given



Gospel
Matthew 7:7-12
Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘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. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
    ‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’

Reflection:
This passage reveals a God who is not distant but eagerly generous. Jesus compares human goodness—flawed yet capable of giving good gifts—to the perfect goodness of the Father. Prayer is framed not as a transaction but as a relational act of trust. The call to “ask, search, knock” is an invitation to persistent hope, rooted in the character of a loving Parent. It culminates in the Golden Rule: God’s generosity should transform how we treat others. We are invited to become channels of the very goodness we receive.

Question:
In what area of your life is God inviting you to persist in asking, searching, or knocking with greater trust?

Prayer:
Loving Father, give me a trusting heart to ask, seek, and knock. Help me to rely on your goodness and to reflect your generosity in all my relationships. Amen.

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