Gospel

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable

about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. 

He said, “There was a judge in a certain town

who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,

‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,

‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 

because this widow keeps bothering me

I shall deliver a just decision for her

lest she finally come and strike me.’” 

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?”

Reflection

It's always important to try to figure out who Jesus is talking to. It would seem in this case, he's talking to people who have given up perhaps on asking God for things because they don't seem to see a clear answer. Jesus saying, look, if you repeat the prayer over and over again, that isn't a sign that I'm not answering it.

It's simply a sign that I want you to continue to long for it. Because the longing for something is more than just saying, fix this for me it's I want to deal with this issue. I want it to be behind me. I want it to be. I want to be free of it. That's the kind of prayer that Jesus is asking us to repeat over and over again, knowing that it's not pestering God, it's trusting in him.

Closing Prayer

Father, you want us to long for your kingdom. You want us to plead, in a sense, for the kingdom to be a part of what we ourselves are engaged in. Bless us with not thinking that when we're not yet there, you have somehow abandoned us. You are always with us, always attentive and enjoy and love the longing we have with the kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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