Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed. The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood. Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders. For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, o Lord! their deliverer.
Then he struck every first born throughout their land, the first fruits of all their manhood. And he led them forth laden with silver and gold, with not a weakling among their tribes.
For he remembered his holy word to his servant Abraham. And he led forth his people with joy; with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
“Pray always without becoming weary”
Fr. Joan FARRÉS i Llarisó (Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)Today, when the last days of the liturgical year are getting near, Jesus exhorts us to pray, to open ourselves to God. We may think as the family parents who —every day!— are expecting to receive from their sons some words showing their loving affection.
God, who is our Father, also expects these words. Jesus says it quite often in the Gospel and we know that to speak with God is to pray. Our prayer is the voice of faith of our belief in Him, also of our confidence, and it would be great if it would always be the manifestation of our love.
For our prayer to be trustful and persevering, St. Luke says that “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary” (Lk 18:1). We know we can pray by praising our Lord, by thanking Him, or by acknowledging our human weakness —the sin—, and imploring God's mercy, but most of the time, we shall be demanding some grace or favor. And, even if we do not immediately get what we are asking for, only the very fact of being able to address ourselves to God, to explain to this Someone our sorrow or our worries, will already mean we have achieved something. And, surely —even if not immediately, but eventually— we shall get a reply, because “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?” (Lk 18:7).
With regard to this evangelic parable, Saint John Climacus says “that judge who feared not God, finally yields to the widow's insistence so that she stops coming and wearing him out. God will do justice to the soul, his widow because of sin, in front of the body, his first enemy, and in front of all the devils, his invisible adversaries. The Divine Trader will certainly know how to properly trade in our good wares, to place his great goods at our disposal with amorous solicitude, and to promptly hear our prayers.”
Perseverance in prayer, confidence in God. Tertullian said “Prayer is the one thing that can conquer God.”
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
“The traitor knows that he has already lost that soul which perseveres in prayer” (Saint Teresa of Jesus)
“Creation was made to be a space for prayer. Creation is there for us to worship God. Saint Benedict said in his rule: 'Let nothing be preferred to the Work of God'” (Benedict XVI)
"When we begin to pray, a thousand labors or cares thought to be urgent vie for priority; once again, it is the moment of truth for the heart" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2732)
