St Paul wanted to help the Galatians to understand that they were justified by faith alone and not by the good works that they did. In other words, our relationship with God depends on trusting in God’s grace rather than in what we can do to earn God’s grace. God’s grace is freely given to all who trust – it is a free gift, and we only need to believe. Of course, this belief should lead to good works, but we are not justified in God’s eyes by what we do, but by the One in whom we believe.

In the parable today, Jesus is encouraging the people to persevere in prayer. The person requesting the bread knew that it would be difficult for their friend to get out of bed and disturb his children in order to get some bread for a friend; however, he persisted and finally received what he wanted. Jesus continues to encourage people to be persistent by saying that God wants to answer prayer and to give people what they need – just like a parent does with their children. The gift that God gives that no one else can duplicate is the gift of the Holy Spirit. All we need to do is to ask; and not just ask, but ask persistently, without giving up.