Homily Thirty-Second Saturday in Ordinary Time (Lk 18:1-8) “Why Pray?”
Homily Thirty-Second Saturday in Ordinary Time (Lk 18:1-8) “Why Pray?”
The parable Jesus tells today is about persistence. The widow who asks the judge for justice is an interesting figure. Widows had very little legal standing. A woman was considered property in the ancient world. The status they had was usually tied to the importance of their husbands.
The judge did not need to pay attention to the widow. She had no political clout. Disregarding her would be like swatting a gnat away. Obviously, this was not a typical judge. He had a conscience and was compassionate at some level.
During the last nine months we all have been saying numerous prayers as we ask for relief from the COVID 19 pandemic. We might ask, “What is the use? Nothing seems to be happening. Do our prayers have any affect at all?
Maybe we might consider what we are asking for. Most often we seem to ask for a quick solution. We expect a miracle. We would like to wake up tomorrow morning and leave our masks behind and hug our friends without any fear of getting them sick. We would have to say that this is an unrealistic expectation.
A realistic picture of what is going to happen would be a remedy to happen over time. It will take time to develop a vaccine, test it distribute it and inoculate everyone. What then might be a pragmatic prayer?
We perhaps need to pray for virtues to handle the struggle we are in and the strength to make it through. God may not take away our suffering right away each time we have a crisis, but we believe God walks with us in our difficulties. When we stop talking to God is when we to despair. Let’s keep nagging God. God is listening.
Reflection Question:
- Am I ready to give up on God right now? Does God ever give up on me?
- What virtues do I need as I contemplate the struggles of today? Do I believe God is listening?
Dear Parishioners,
We got word from the Diocese of Peoria today that the Catholic Schools of the diocese will be shutting down starting Monday November 16th until January 18th. This decision has been slowly coming about over the last few days as cases have spiked in the area. We have been doing fairly well with managing the virus in our school, but we have to think about spread in our community.
I was touring classrooms today before school dismissed. This was a very difficult thing for the children. Some tears were being shed. Please pray for these youngsters as they head into a very different holiday season and for the teachers who face new challenges.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over us.
Fr. Mark