We all want God to hear our prayers. Today we get a lesson in how that happens. The "secret ingredient" is humility.

Nothing fancy - just the basics. That's how we could describe the lessons in the readings today. Persistence in prayer, the importance of Scripture, the necessity of faith - are non-negotiable in the spiritual life.

How often have we heard, "it's the little things that count." Little things - like "please" and "thank you," like a word of praise or encouragement, like asking advice and actually taking it, even little things that don't seem to make a lot of sense, like washing seven times in the Jordan River!

Have you ever seen or experienced the presence of an angel? Apparently, more than a few people have - and we continue to hear their reports. It seems like every so often there is a story online about someone having a mysterious "visitation" or encounter, which has all the signs of being angelic in nature.

"The just man shall live by faith...Lord, increase our faith...Have faith the size of a mustard seed...Guard the rich deposit of faith." Today's liturgy is permeated by faith. We can't get more basic than that!

We have all probably heard the expression, "I've been poor and I've been rich - and rich is better." Today's readings, however, make us seriously question that. Money, riches, wealth - can definitely present an obstacle to entering the kingdom of God. "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6:10).

What topic did Jesus speak about the most? One author proposed a somewhat surprising answer - money...and the use of it! Actually, I think the correct answer is the Kingdom of God, but the fact is, Jesus did speak quite a lot about money, greed, care for the poor, etc... We have an example of that today.

The lyrics of a contemporary Christian song seem to express this Sunday's readings: "Everyone needs compassion. Love that's never ending. Let mercy fall on me." We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23). So, we all need God's mercy and compassion. Today, we are called upon to thank God for showing us his mercy and forgiveness.

The word of God presents wisdom as one of the greatest gifts we can receive from the Lord. Scriptural wisdom is knowing God and God's plan for us - very practical wisdom indeed!

Have you ever had a difficult time praying? Maybe I'm the only one...but I really don't think so! The fact is, anyone who is committed to spending time in prayer on a daily basis has experienced some difficulty in consistently praying well. Even some great saints have confessed that prayer didn't always come easily.

A friend named Charles, a spiritual writer and teacher, tells this story on himself. He says that in prayer one day he felt the Lord say to him, “Charles, humble yourself.” Charles tried to protest, “But Lord, I’m humble.” Then the Lord said rather insistently, “Charles, either you humble yourself, or I will have to humble you!” Charles says he thought about it for a moment and then responded, “Lord, having seen what a thorough job you do in these situations, I think I would rather humble myself.” Wise decision and a good lesson! And that’s what our liturgy teaches us today.

Salvation is offered to everyone. But how many will, in fact, be saved? That question has been asked for over 2000 years and is still being asked today. Although salvation is freely offered to all, it would not seem, to external appearances at least, that very many take advantage of the offer. Our readings today discuss this crucial topic.

In school I once had a demanding teacher whose favorite expression was, “Life is tough!” Those of us in his class would readily confirm that, especially when we took his tests! That expression was certainly true for the prophet Jeremiah. And for the Lord Jesus also, as he took on our human condition, including suffering death on a cross! The word of God speaks to us today about dealing with suffering, struggle, and division.

In 1986 Robert Fulghum wrote a book called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It included topics like sharing with others, waiting your turn, being kind, cleaning up after yourself, and other very basic rules of life. I was thinking about this recently when reading the Book of Genesis. It seems to me that we can glean so many simple – but extremely important – lessons from the earliest chapters in the Bible. It's almost like, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Genesis.” These are probably some of the first things we learned in religion classes in kindergarten or grammar school. I would like to share some of them here.

The Lord says through Isaiah (slightly paraphrased): “When the time is right, I will act with speed” (Is. 60:22). The Israelites in Egypt waited 400 years for deliverance. To test our faith, God has a way of making us wait a while to see his promises fulfilled. Our readings today challenge and encourage us not to lose faith because, in God’s good time, he will acts swiftly and suddenly. It is important, then, to keep faith that we might be found on the “right side” when God’s time for judgment comes.

I once heard a Scripture professor say that he thought the author of Ecclesiastes might have been the “first Existentialist.” He was referring not just to the famous “vanity of vanities” quote but also to the whole outlook of the book, which is rather blunt and realistic, without sugar-coating the difficulties of life. Anyway, today’s readings provide us with healthy “reality checks” about life, death, and what is really important.

What is the best possible gift you could ask God for, and receive just for the asking? We get the answer in today’s gospel – the Holy Spirit! Today we hear about God’s graciousness in answering fervent prayer. The secret to receiving is…don’t stop asking, seeking, knocking.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb. 13:2). Today’s readings teach us about showing hospitality and hearing the word of God.

In years gone by when I was preparing to give a talk, my friend Bob, now deceased, used to tell me, “that thing is in you.” He was referring to the word of God. And that is actually the message in today’s readings. God’s law, God’s word, is in our hearts. The Good Samaritan had God’s law of love and charity in his heart.

This past Easter, as we celebrated the Lord's resurrection and victory over Satan, sin and death, the following verse was very much on my mind: "Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has conquered" (Rev. 5:5).   This verse, referring to the Lord Jesus, has captivated me for some time now. To speak of Jesus as the Lion of Judah is a strong and forceful image. He has indeed conquered Satan, sin and death and is victorious forevermore - not only for himself but for all of us who are his followers. Jesus is called the Lion of Judah to display his absolute authority and power over all creation.