Our relationship with God is centred upon the ways we communicate with God particularly in Prayer which is mainly expressed either in silent reflection on the Word of God and daily events or in our contemplative actions. In the same context, Jesus in the gospel reading, exhorts his disciples to be constant and persevering in prayer. So we are to keep on asking, seeking and knocking.

Queen Esther's prayer to God as in the first reading reflects in depth her faith in God which was expressed concretely in what she prayed for in the time of great crisis.

In Mt 7:9-10, the efficacy of prayer is illustrated in how God responds to what we ask, seek and knock. Reflecting on this aspect of our spiritual life, we are invited to examine the ways we pray. In other words, we are challenged to ask this basic question: What God and I are for each other? This also determines how we respond to our daily challenges in life. This is very much linked to the "Golden Rule" as in 7:12. This has its prehistory in the Jewish and Hellenistic world. The Jewish Rabbi Hillel (20BC) used the rule in a negative form as in "Silver Rule" and considered it to be the essence of the Law (Tob 4:15) - Do to no one what you would not want done to you.

This rule helps us in examining our relationships with God, others and the environment.