REFLECTION:

One thing I've noticed since moving here and becoming a pastor of a parish in town is that everybody seems to be in a hurry!

People are impatient on the road. Sometimes the light hasn't even turned green yet, and somebody is already ready to honk!

After Sunday Mass, people rush to their cars. Some of our ministers finish their responsibilities and quickly head out. There's hardly time to stop, talk story, or enjoy some fellowship.

And then there are parents who email the school about a concern or request yesterday and expect an answer within 24 hours! Sometimes before the administration even has a chance to investigate or gather the facts, they're already asking, "What's taking so long?"

Everybody wants things done, and they want them done now!

And I wonder if we've become so accustomed to this fast-paced world that we've started treating God the same way.

Even our prayer life has become like ordering fast food. We pull up to the drive-through window and say, "God, I'd like one blessing, two answered prayers, a little bit of patience, and can you please remove this problem from my life? Oh, and make it quick because I have somewhere to be!" And when God doesn't deliver our order on time, we get frustrated! "God, I've been praying about this for three days! What's taking so long?"

My friends, God is not a fast-food restaurant, and prayer is not a drive-through service.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "Ask once, and everything will be delivered within 24 hours!" He invites us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. Why? Because prayer is not simply about getting something from God. Prayer is about building a relationship with God. And relationships take time. They require patience, trust, and perseverance.

In our first reading, St. Paul reminds the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit through faith, not because of all the things they had accomplished.

And at the end of today's Gospel, Jesus tells us that our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. That's interesting, isn't it? Jesus doesn't promise that God will give us everything we want. He promises something even greater: the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we ask God to remove a difficult situation, but instead He gives us the strength to face it. Sometimes we ask God to change another person, but instead He gives us the patience to deal with that person. Sometimes we ask God to hurry up, but perhaps God is teaching us how to slow down.

Maybe that's something we all need to learn, especially in this busy world. Not everything needs an immediate answer. Not every problem needs to be solved today. Not every moment needs to be rushed. Sometimes we need to stop, listen, trust, and allow God to work. Because God is not interested in simply fulfilling our orders. He is interested in forming our hearts.

So today, perhaps instead of praying, "Lord, give me what I want, and give it to me now," we can pray: "Lord, give me Your Holy Spirit. Give me the patience to wait, the wisdom to understand, and the faith to trust that You are working, even when things are not moving according to my schedule."

And remember, God's timing may not be our timing, but that doesn't mean God isn't listening.