Today's Gospel

Ask for Anything

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we are exploring the genius of Jesus in the Gospels, His life and teachings, and looking for a word or a phrase or an idea each day from today's gospel to take out into the world, to anchor our life in the Gospel. Today's reading is from the Gospel of John 15:9-17.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things, I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from the Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you. This I command you to love one another.

So there's a lot there, right? There's some epic lines that we hear all the time in this one reading. Throughout these days, we're reading from John. We're hearing about this relationship between Jesus and the Father. And he's confirming this relationship that he has with his father. He's highlighting this relationship before he leaves, sends into heaven. But the word that jumped out at me today is ask. The last several days, Jesus has talked about asking the Father. He's talked about, "Ask the Father for anything in my name, and He will give it to you." And the question it raises for me is, when was the last time you really asked God for something? Not sort of just vaguely, some sort of vague thing out there, but when was the last time you asked God clearly for something specific? And not once, but repeatedly. You came to him and not just, "Hey, God, give me this", but that you spoke to him about it, that you had conversation with him about it. Asked him for it specifically, and then talked to him about why you want it, why you think it's good for you, or why you think it's good for somebody else, or how you think it will have impact. Talk to him. Ask him. Keep asking him and talk to him. Have an amazing day and remember, be bold, be Catholic.