Gospel Reading: Lk 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?”
PRAY ALWAYS WITHOUT BECOMING WEARY
As Jesus journeys on to Jerusalem with his disciples, he exhorts them to pray always. He urges them to imitate a widow who wrestles with a judge. She constantly prods him to give her a just decision, to the point of pestering and annoying him. The judge is hardheaded and no respecter of anyone, not even God. Yet the widow, through her incessant pleading, makes him answer her demands. God will give in to our legitimate demands after we take the effort and waste time to pray always. Prayer is often set aside because of work. People drown themselves in many roles. Preoccupied with their self-importance, they are always in a hurry and have almost no time to pray. Even among church people, prayer time is often displaced by planning for church activities. They forget that the best service they can give to the church is prayer. Being active in church does not guarantee high quality prayer life. We are asked, above all, to pray always because God is always available to listen to us. There should be no let up in prayer. We should overcome fatigue, discouragement, and boredom when maintaining our relationship with God.
Do you have the stamina for prayer?
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SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.