32ND SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 18:1-8) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8)

FIRST READING - Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9

"Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, they ranged about like horses."

A reading from the Book of Wisdom

^14 [a]For when peaceful stillness encompassed everything

and the night in its swift course was half spent,

¹⁵ Your all-powerful word from heaven’s royal throne

leapt into the doomed land,

¹⁶     a fierce warrior bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree,

And alighted, and filled every place with death,

and touched heaven, while standing upon the earth.

^6 [a]For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew,

serving your commands, that your children might be preserved unharmed.

⁷ The cloud overshadowed their camp;

and out of what had been water, dry land was seen emerging:

Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road,

and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.

⁸ Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand,

and they beheld stupendous wonders.

⁹ For they ranged about like horses,

and leapt like lambs,

praising you, Lord, their deliverer.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 18:1-8

 ^"Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?"

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

^1 [a]Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, ² “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. ³ And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ ⁴ 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, ^5 [b]because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” ⁶ The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. ⁷ 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? ⁸ 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?”

32ND SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 18:1-8)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today’s Word of God teaches both the disciples in the distant past and all people in today’s world to remain vigilant and persevering in prayer to God. For while we are praying, Satan will tempt us into the lack of perseverance and patience to prevent us from close union with God.

They infiltrate into our minds, urging us to follow their own desires and making it difficult for us to hear God’s teachings on how to live to please Him.

God calls everyone to be even more vigilant and persevering in prayer. He knows everyone’s thought, word, action, and deed; so even before a prayer is spoken, God already sees and understands what the person wishes to ask of Him. God always desires what is good for all people. God is the One who is True, Good, and Beautiful. He sees and understands all things in humanity both in the present material world and in the future one. God calls everyone to persevere in prayer to God, not to become discouraged or lose heart; for all that God grants is always good.

Today’s Word of God teaches us to persevere in prayer, to be vigilant in our thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, to remain wakeful in absolute faith in God.

Only when people have strong faith in God’s love will they avoid falling into the snares of Satan.

He gives the example of an unjust judge and a widow. Though the judge is dishonest, he eventually accepts the widow’s request to bring justice to her.

The unjust judge was overcome by the widow’s persistence and patience, for she repeatedly and disturbingly came to him seeking justice.

How much more, then, will a God of love, who always bestows good things upon humanity, respond to our prayers?

Today’s Word of God calls everyone to be vigilant at all times and in all places, to be watchful against the temptations of Satan, to be attentive to our prayers and petitions offered to God with absolute trust in Him as a loving Father.

He will hear our prayers and grant every blessing to those who obey and live according to His Word.

God does not want anyone to become discouraged in prayer simply because they do not perceive His guidance immediately in their human eyes.

He invites everyone to remain steadfast in the faith in the God of love, to believe that He will grant all blessings according to the needs of life.

Believe that God loves all people, and that He will always bestow blessings upon those who come to invoke His holy name.

Thanks be to God. Amen.