TRUSTING IN GOD'S MERCY IN OUR PRAYERS - 10/16/22 (Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Luke 18:2–5

“In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.’"

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101622.cfm

Blessed Sunday! In the parable that Jesus mentions to us, He speaks of a judge who is not fearful to God and who does not care for any man. A widow came to him with persistence and made a request to him. Though the judge did not listen for a long time, he granted her request because he did not want to be tired out of her perseverance. Why did our Lord Jesus use this analogy? It's because He wants us to persevere in our prayers and to see how merciful God is for us. If the judge who definitely lack goodness listen to the widow, how much more with our God who is Infinite Goodness and Infinite Mercy. Our Lord is not far from us unlike the judge. The truth is that He is beside us, and He dwells within us. He listens to our prayers because He loves us. This should inspire us even more to pray for ourselves and for other people.

The widow asked the judge for her to be vindicated from the adversary. What does this represent? It represents that our prayers should lead us to God by seeking to be delivered from the devil, who is our adversary. God calls us to pray, not just for temporal goods, but for us to grow in our virtues and avoid sins because sins offend God. For us to imitate Jesus Christ even more, it is necessary for us to reflect on His Scriptures. Through the Bible, God speaks to us, and He teaches us on how we can love Him. The Bible is not merely a book that gives information about God. God has messages for us in our daily lives. May we dedicate a time every day to prayerfully reflect on the Scriptures. At the same time, let's seek to grow in humility by knowing our sins. When we have fallen to sins, let's not lose hope, but may we come to Jesus immediately in our prayers. Let's remember to fill our daily life with our prayers and with God's Word. 

Our prayers are not just for our own sake. It is also meant to help other people spiritually. When we see the sins and imperfections of others, it's an opportunity for us to pray to God for their confession. We have an assurance that our Lord is listening to our prayers. We may feel pain when we see how the people are unfaithful to God and the Church. Even if we do not understand God's ways on how conversion takes place for people, let's take this as an opportunity to trust in His mercy even more. We have an assurance that even if other people are still living in worldly and materialistic ways or if they are saying harmful words at us because of our faith, there will be a time that God will reveal the fullness of truth to them in His time. Let's seek God who dwells within us in our prayers. We have the hope that God will help us as we pray to Him in everything that takes place in our lives. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/