LUKE 18:1-8 DON'T STOP PRAYING

Saturday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable about a widow who keeps approaching a judge, asking him to give her justice. The judge is not a good man. He does not respect God or care about people. Yet the widow refuses to give up. Finally, because of her persistence, he grants her request.

Jesus uses this story to teach us about prayer. If even an unjust judge eventually responds to the widow, how much more will our loving God listen to His children?

But does this mean that if we pray long enough, God will give us exactly what we ask for? Not necessarily. Sometimes we pray for healing, but the illness continues. We pray for a difficult situation to change, but nothing seems to happen. We pray for someone we love, but the answer does not come in the way we hoped.

That can be painful. But prayer is not simply about getting what we want. Prayer is also about keeping our relationship with God alive, especially when life is difficult. It is about trusting that even when we cannot see what God is doing, He has not stopped listening or loving us.

Jesus ends the Gospel with a challenging question: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Perhaps the question for us is simple: Will we continue trusting God even when the answers take longer than we expected? 

Prayer does not always change our situation immediately, but it keeps our hearts connected to the God who never abandons us.

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler