Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Incessant prayers receive a just decision


November 14, 2015

Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time


14For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, 15your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land, 16bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.

6For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed.

7 The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.

8Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders. 

9For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O LORD! their deliverer.


2Sing praise to Him, play music; proclaim all His wondrous deeds! 3Glory in His holy name; let hearts that seek the LORD rejoice! O hearts that seek the LORD!
36He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of all their vigor. 37He brought His people out, laden with silver and golds no one among the tribes stumbled. 

42For He remembered His sacred promise to Abraham His servant. 43He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with shouts of triumph. 


1Then He told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.[1] He said, 2"There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.

3And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' 4For 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,
5because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"[2]

6The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7Will 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? 8I 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?" 



Notes on Readings


[1] Luke 18:1-14 -The particularly Lucan material in the travel narrative concludes with two parables on prayer. The first (Luke 18:1-8) teaches the disciples the need of persistent prayer so that they not fall victims to apostasy  (Luke 18:8). The second (Luke 18:9-14) condemns the self-righteous, critical attitude of the Pharisee and teaches that the fundamental attitude of the Christian disciple must be the recognition of sinfulness and complete dependence on God's graciousness. The second parable recalls the story of the pardoning of the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50) where a similar contrast is presented between the critical attitude of the Pharisee Simon and the love shown by the pardoned sinner.

[2] Luke 18:5 - Strike me: the Greek verb translated as strike means "to strike under the eye" and suggests the extreme situation to which the persistence of the widow might lead. It may, however, be used here in the much weaker sense of "to wear one out."

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.