Saturday of the 32nd week in ordinary time
3 John 5-8 Luke 18: 1-8
Theme: Pray constantly
In the gospel reading of today from St. Luke, Jesus makes it very clear that as Christians and followers of Christ, we must be people of prayer. He presents to us the parable of the unjust judge and the widow, and we see that her persistence brought her victory. In the same way, Jesus is encouraging us to be persistent and prayer and never loose heart when our prayers are not promptly answered. One thing that is very clear from today’s parable is the fact that giving up should never be an option, until our prayers are answered by God. It is very important that we must always remember this fact, especially when we are faced with the challenges and difficulties of life. Sometimes we lose faith because of the length of time that is involved, but Jesus is saying to all of us today that we must never give up, but rather be persistent in our prayers until they are answered.
Dearly beloved in Christ, always remember that as children of God we cannot do without prayer, as shown by Jesus in his daily life. Prayer is one of our armors that we have as children of God, and our identity as Christians. So, we are all encouraged to be prayerful in all that we do, trusting in God’s love and mercy. Never at any point in time be discouraged and think that God will not answer your prayer or has refused to answer your prayers, because it is not happening according to your plans. Always remember that we are still dealing with the same God who said that he came that we may have life and have it abundantly. Just trust in him and remain constant in prayer. Jesus is a God that is always there to make things right for us his children, so we must learn to be patient and trust in his timing and process in every situation of our lives.
In the 1st reading of today, St. John encourages us to always be at the service of our brothers and sisters. To allow love to guide our actions, such that we are always willing to do all within our power to help all those who encounter us in our journey of faith. If we decide to take the admonition of Jesus in the gospel reading of today seriously, it will go a long way towards helping us to serve our brothers and sisters in sincerity of heart. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you.