The reading from Luke in yesterday's gospel is one of my particular favorites:
What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’One of the most suprising things I've learned about God over the past decade is that He is surprising. The set-up that even earthly fathers give their children fish or eggs suggests the next line will be "how much more will the Heavenly Father provide good things to those who ask." And that would be satisfactory. But instead he anticipates what we really want and offers what we barely dare ask. Without this verse the asking would seem presumptuous. He holds out the prize of all prizes, the Holy Spirit, that precious Intimacy between the Father and the Son, an Intimacy such that we should feel like a third wheel. But Jesus cuts to the chase and takes away the necessity of slowly building up to asking for the gift of gifts.
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