Sunday, July 27, 2025

Many of us find comfort in the promise of today’s Gospel: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” We ask with sincerity what we truly need, hope for, and desire and we trust that God hears our prayers and faithfully grants what we bring before Him. We seek answers to our questions, healing for our pain, and guidance for our struggles. We knock, trusting in faith that He, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will open the doors we need to walk through.

However, the reality of life does not always match our expectations. God seems silent when we ask, seek, and knock. The prayers we offer with sincere hearts often seem to go unanswered. The solutions that we seriously long for remain out of reach. The doors that we truly we hope to open remain firmly shut. In these moments of quiet and uncertainty, doubt begins to surface as we question ourselves: Is God really there? Is He listening? Does He still keep His promises?

In the first reading, Abraham offers us a profound example in the face of this matter. When God reveals His plan to in-vestigate the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham does not react with resignation or question God’s justice. Instead, he engages God in a persistent, respectful, and faith-filled dialogue. His bargain to God is not for his own comfort or gain, but out of compassion for the cities and the people within them. He does not seek judgment or condemnation, but forgiveness, healing, and grace. His prayer is not to impose his own will, but to intercede on behalf of others. Unfortu-nately, despite Abraham’s sincere and fervent prayer, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. This outcome is not because God lacks mercy or because He ignored Abraham’s request. Rather, it unveils a deeper truth that divine justice and di-vine love are not opposites, but two sides of the same coin. God is always willing to forgive, but He does not override human freedom. His justice respects human freedom, even when that freedom leads to denial and destruction. His love is always based on morality, natural law and sacred commandments. Also, while Abraham is eager to help, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah reject to collaborate. He can pray for them, but he cannot force their repentance. His intercession is honored, but ultimately, the cities do not have even ten righteous souls to save them.

From this story, we learn that we must place our trust not only in God’s power, but in His unchanging goodness. He is not a servant who responds to our every whim, but a loving Father who desires to give us what leads to eternal peace and salvation. God does not simply provide what is comfortable or convenient, but what will deepen our relationship with Him. He opens the door, not when we knock with frustration or despair, but when we knock with authentic hope and patient perseverance. His promise is not to fulfill our desires for material wealth, fleeting pleasure, or worldly com-fort, but to give us what is truly best for us as His beloved children, as disciples of Christ, and as members of His faith-ful community.

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.