Gospel
From the Gospel according to Luke. 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?”
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?”
Tiredlessly
The Lord longs to have a personal relationship with each one of us. We just have to truly believe it. But sadly, He asks us whether He will find faith expressed in that kind of intimacy. How often do we come to the Lord only to ask and ask… and after a while, we stop asking, we stop speaking to Him about that one thing, and we start asking for something else. And so it goes on without ever entering into a true intimate relationship with Him, where our concerns become His concerns, and our life becomes a continuous conversation with Him, marked by trust.
The same can happen in marriage, our relationship with our spouse can become just about asking for things or managing responsibilities, without any real intimacy. Functional marriages without true communion. Just as a soul without prayer is like a dead soul, a marriage without prayer eventually begins to “die.” Daily conjugal prayer is the best way to build that intimacy shared by three: between the spouses, with the Lord in the center leading us to true life.
Husbands and wives! What are you waiting for to begin that journey of prayer with perseverance? The Bridegroom is waiting for us!
Applied to married life:
Martin: Tess, don’t you think Anthony and Rachel are a bit over the top with all that prayer stuff?
Tess: Well, sometimes I think so too. Honestly, it even stresses me out a little.
Martin: But it’s also true that when we do pray, we’re better.
Tess: You’re right. Now that I think about it, when we pray and persevere like they tell us to, something changes in the way we see each other, or at least I feel like you look at me and I look at you with more… mercy?
Martin: It’s like we wake up from a long sleep. And on the other hand, when we don’t pray, we get lazy, sluggish, and everything feels harder.
Tess: I think in the end, they’re right. Without prayer, without grace, we can do nothing.
Martin: That’s true. I’m thinking today we could go to Mass and then stay a bit afterwards to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
Tess: That actually sounds good to me.
Martin: Maybe we’ll even start to enjoy it! [laughs]
Mother,
You who kept all things in your Heart, teach us to pray like you, with that silent, intimate prayer so pleasing to God.
Blessed Mother! Blessed be God!
Blessed Mother! Blessed be God!