St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin
＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Wisdom of Solomon   18:14-16; 19:6-9

 While all was in quiet silence

And the night was in the middle of its course, your almighty Word leapt down from the Royal Throne – a stern warrior to a doomed world. Carrying your fearful command like a sharpened sword and stretching from heaven to earth, he filled the universe with death.

All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at your command, in order to pro­tect your people. The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been. A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain where the whole nation of those protected by your hand passed across, witnessing your astounding deeds.

They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising you, their Lord, who had delivered them.

 

Ps 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Remember the marvels the Lord has done!

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊    

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told them a parable to show them that they should pray con­tinually and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor people. 

In the same town was a widow who kept coming to him, saying: ‘Defend my rights against my op­ponent.’ For a time he refused, but finally he thought: ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.”

 And Jesus explained, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

 

Gospel Reflection：

In today’s gospel, Jesus is not comparing God to an unjust judge. The parable has a context in the earlier comment of Jesus: ‘If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’(LK 11:13).

His point is that if even the most unjust of judges will relent to the pleas of a defenseless widow who will not stop petitioning him every day, then how much more will God answer our prayers?

The parable offers hope to those among us who are perhaps reluctant to address God with our petitions for fear that it will fall on deaf ears. It is both an invitation and encouragement to pray without ceasing, confident of God’s desire to respond.