Pastor's Message

 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Though I have no fear of God and do not respect for any human being, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”     Luke 18:4-5

 “Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth”         

           The Prayer of a confident Soul; The Psalmist sings, “The Lord will not let your foot be moved … The Lord is your keeper; … The Lord will keep you from all evil; … He will keep your life.”

           The readings today, present us, with two people in prayer, Moses in the book of Exodus and the Widow in the Parable of the Gospel.

           In Exodus, the Israelites were in a fight of their life, against the Amalekites and Moses knowing that their real defender is Yahweh, the God of Israel, decided to consult with Him, in a prayer of intervention, to save his people. This he did, while Joshua and his men were tackling their adversaries on the battlefield. Moses, standing on a hilltop, lifted his hands in prayer. God was with his people, but to grant victory, he needed Moses' uplifted hands as a condition for his intervention.

           Yes, incredible as it sounds, God needed the raised hands of his servant Moses to save his people. Pope Benedict XVI would write in his homily on the 21^st of October 2007; Moses raised hands were foreshadowing of the Arms of Jesus on the Cross. The outspread, nailed arms with which the Redeemer won the crucial battle against the infernal enemy.

          The Widow, in the Parable of the Gospel, makes us admire her determination in Faith; her tenacity in hope, that the corrupt judge would solve her problem. Without much thought, of her disadvantaged position, she fought on, overcoming every adversity. Her persistence paid and she got her victory. “Though I have no fear of God and do not respect for any human being, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” (Luke: 18:4-5)                   

          Jesus alerts us, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.”

          Faith and Persistence gave this poor Widow a response to her request! In a Gospel reading these past weeks, in Luke Chapter 11, verse 13, Jesus, in conclusion to on teaching in prayer, reasoned with his listeners; “So if you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” “Ask and you will receive, Seek and you will find, knock and the door shall be opened.” (Mt 7:7)

          Jesus, at the ending of the Gospel, this Sunday, asks us a very disturbing question; “When the Son of man comes, will he find Faith on earth?” 

          What answer do you give, in response, to this questions?

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