INSISTENT PRAYER

November 13, Saturday

Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

      Their salvation through the Red Sea and their journey through the desert were like a new creation for the Hebrew people. God protected them and led them to freedom. This reminds us how our passing through the saving waters of baptism has recreated us as the People of God.

      Luke must have had in mind those who pray and think that God does not act when they beg him. There is also an eschatological tone in the words of Jesus, that the delay in the coming of the kingdom should not discourage us. In any case, our prayer should be trustful and insistent.

First Reading: Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9

It was midnight when it happened; all was calm, all was clear, when all hell broke out. From the royal throne room of Heaven your almighty word fell upon that doomed land like a heavily armed warrior brandishing a sharp sword to carry out your command. With feet on the ground and head in the sky, this Avenging Angel delivered death with every swing.

All creation was reconfigured anew along the guidelines you’d set up with a view to protect your children from harm. The cloud that followed your people every day parked over their campsite every night. When they got to the Red Sea, the fast current momentarily parted, revealing dry land and allowing them to cross without even getting their feet wet; on the other side was a grassy plain.

The whole nation of Israel passed through, their every step protected by your hand, and they experienced what their eyes had never seen before. On the other side they ran around like horses grazing on a plain or lambs flocking about on a hill. They all glorified the one who had helped them escape.

Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

“He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Prayer

Lord our God,
we know that you are our loving Father,
that you wait for us
and that you are attentive to us
every moment of our lives.
Let then our prayer come to you
as a breath of hope and a cry of trust
coming from the poverty of our hearts.
If you have to turn us down
when we ask for harmful or useless things,
give us what we really need
and keep our trust alive
that you are good and loving
for you love us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection:

Converse with the One who walks with us

We have heard the promise Jesus makes in the Gospel: “Will God not do justice to his chosen ones, who cry to him day and night” (cf. Lk 18:7). This is the mystery of prayer: to keep crying out, not to lose heart, keeping our hands raised in asking God to help. This is the model of prayer that Jesus has revealed to us and given us. To pray is to struggle.

To live the mission in the full, prayer is an indispensable condition – Prayer. Prayer is the first power of proclamation. Missionaries are above all men and women of prayer, who nourish faith in a constant bond with the Lord. It is also a good opportunity today to ask ourselves: do I pray for the missionaries? Do I pray for those who go far to bring the Word of God with testimony?
A widow’s insistent pleading with a dishonest judge succeeds in obtaining justice from him. Jesus says, if the widow succeeded in convincing that judge, do you think that God will not listen to us if we pray to him with insistence?
“Crying day and night” to God! This image of prayer is so striking, but let us ask ourselves: Why does God want this? Doesn’t he already know what we need? What does it mean to “insist” with God?
This is a good question that makes us examine an important aspect of the faith: God invites us to pray insistently not because he is unaware of our needs. On the contrary, Our constant prayer keeps us aware of a God who walks with us and never leaves us alone. Good friends who walk together do not remain silent, rather they talk. Our prayer is our conversation with the one who walks with us. Therefore, pray always, but not in order to convince the Lord of our desires! He knows our needs better than we do! Indeed persevering prayer is the expression of faith in God who calls us to fight with him in order to conquer evil with good.
Explaining the Gospel, Pope Francis says, “let us learn from the widow of the Gospel to pray always without growing weary. This widow was very good! Think of the many women who fight for their families, who pray and never grow weary. Today let us all remember these women who by their attitude provide us with a true witness of faith and courage, and a model of prayer.”

Video available on Youtube : Converse with the One who walks with us