“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” – Luke 18:7

       I had only two hours to commute from Mandaluyong to Cubao, and back. That shouldn’t have been a problem, since the distance was only around 12 kilometers in total. But I was going to do so on a Friday during the Christmas rush, and “traffic jam” was an understatement.

       I hired a taxi to take me to Cubao so I was able to get there in time. The problem was getting back to Mandaluyong.

       So there I was, pleading to God to let me make it back in time. Tough luck, I thought to myself.

       Then, as I was about to walk to the bus stop, a white van appeared in front of me. The windows opened, and I heard a man shout from the inside, “Hop in!” To my surprise, I saw that the man was Bo Sanchez. His wife, Marowe, was with him in the van and there was plenty of room for me!

       “Thank You, Lord!” My heart was full of joy and praise as I stepped inside the van. I learned that the kind couple were heading the same way, and that they could drop me off as close as possible to where I needed to be. I sat back, shared lots of stories, and thanked them for being my angels when I got down.

Reflection: God wants you to ride His van of hope. Hop in!

Lord, thank You for meeting my needs at the perfect time. Teach me to trust in You and never grow weary of relying on You. Amen.

St. Dyfrig, bishop, pray for us.

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9

14 When peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent, 15 Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land, 16 bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth. 19:6 For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed. 7 The cloud  overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood. 8 Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders. 9 For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O Lord, their deliverer.

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

R: Remember the marvels the Lord has done!

2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. 3 Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! (R) 36 Then he struck every first-born throughout their land, the first fruits of all their manhood. 37 And he led them forth laden with silver and gold, with not a weakling among their tribes. (R) 42 For he remembered his holy word to his servant Abraham. 43 And he led forth his people with joy; with shouts of joy, his chosen ones. (R)

Ultimately, the righteous person will prevail over the unrighteous. When we stand before God on Judgment Day, perfect justice will happen. It is our duty, as men and women called to live holy lives, to conduct our affairs righteously no matter what others may be doing. Heroism and faith are called for so that our life’s witness will be a beacon of truth in the midst of a dark society.

God has called us through the Gospel, to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3 And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5 because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’ ” 6 The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

think: It is our duty, as men and women called to live holy lives, to conduct our affairs righteously no matter what others may be doing.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 19-22

PRAY INCESSANTLY

The Gospel today teaches about the importance of praying without getting weary. The main protagonist is a persistent widow. She pleaded her case to the judge who was described as dishonest and a “respecter of no God and man.” He does not listen to anyone but himself. For a long time, the judge denied her cause. But she kept pestering the judge. Wearied by the widow’s perseverance, he finally gave in to her request. In the end, the powerful judge lost and the powerless widow prevailed. As Fr. Patrick Peyton always says, “Prayer is the strength of man and the weakness of God.”

       But what does it mean to persevere in prayer? We persevere in prayer not in a spirit of arrogance, as if God owes us and there is nothing He can do “against” our prayer. A persevering prayer is the prayer of a trusting child who, in spite of his desires, leaves room for God to be God. Trust is an important element of persevering prayer.

       To persevere in prayer also means I do not simply stay in the chapel and kneel my knees to numbness. It means to work for what I am asking and to keep on working for it even if I do not see immediate results. In these times of instant results at the flick of a finger, waiting and working for results is a lost art. The answer to our prayers can sometimes take a lifetime — sometimes even beyond our lifetime. The  postles of Jesus, and Paul as well, labored for the spread of the Gospel. It happened long after their lifetime. Ninoy Aquino dreamt of restoring democracy in the Philippines — it happened long after his assassination. These models of perseverance give credence to the adage: To persevere means to live for our dreams. But it also means readiness to die for our dreams.

       To weary our God with our prayers is not to show that we are more powerful than Him. Rather, it is to profess that in everything and at all times, may His will be done, in His own gracious way, in His own proper time. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you an easy prey to despair and discouragement when you don’t get immediate results?

Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you. Amen.