14th NOVEMBER. SATURDAY OF WEEK 32.

1st Reading: Wisdom 18: 14-16; 19:6-9

In the peaceful stillness of the night God's Word came down

For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on earth.

For the whole creations in its nature was fashioned anew, complying with commands, so that your children might be kept unharmed. The cloud was seen overshadowing the camp, and dry land emerging where water had stood before, an unhindered way out of the Red Sea, and a grassy plain out of the raging waves, where those protected by your hand passed through as one nation, after gazing on marvelous wonders. For they ranged like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who delivered them.

Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

God responds to persistent prayer like that of the widow

Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, " In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ' Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ' Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'"

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS ON THE READINGS

A story is told of a man who fled from his enemies and took refuge in a worn-out, dilapidated building. He caught sight of a small ant carrying  a grain bigger than itself and having difficult in climbing up to the top to the top of a wall. The man looked intently at the ant and counted the number  of times the grain dropped from the ant as it went up the wall. The grain felt 67 times! Finally, after 67 times, the ant managed to reach the top of the wall. The man saw the perseverance and persistence of the ant. He came to realize that falling down is not defeat; defeat happen when you refuse to get up. He said to himself, " I am by no means inferior to an ant."Then he resolved to turn a new leaf in his life.

The parable in today's gospel tells the persistent and perseverance of a widow. She did not give up nor get discouraged when she was refused help by the judge, " who neither feared God nor respected any human being." She kept on asking the judge to render her a just decision, until the judge granted her request finally, though obviously not out of compassion, but simply to get rid of her.

Our Lord reminds us to pray always and not to lose heart nor get discouraged when our prayers are not immediately answered. Unlike the judge, Jesus assures of his help, " Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you......"( Lk 11:9)

Are we steadfast and persevering in our prayer? Do we easily give in to discouragement when our prayers are not readily answered? Are we aware that the Lord answers our prayers in his own time and in his own way because, as a loving God, He wants only what is best for us?

The widow in the gospel today knew that only judge could give her the just judgment  she needed. Her persistent "bothering" became the indicator that she was ready to receive the just judgment only the Judge could give.

In our prayer life, we know we will receive whatever we ask for when we remember that someone who can give it to us. We pray because we know he can give us the good we need. Prayer thus becomes a way of faith, a way of " remembering the marvels the Lord has done for us." and will continue to do for us.