St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin, religious founder, missionary

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Wisdom 18:14-16;19:6-9
Psalm 105:2-3,36-37,42-43
Luke 18:1-8


A reflection on today's Scripture:

When Jesus returns to earth, will He find faith? (see Luke 18:8)

In today's Gospel Jesus uses the parable of the persistent widow to exhort His disciples to pray always, to never weary of it. He ends with the paraphrased question above to show them that the life-blood of believers is prayer; without it there can be no true faith. Faith is not just mental belief; it is an intimate relationship with Christ our teacher, Lord and Gift of Love from our heavenly Father.

Faith is a holy way of life, the result of Jesus transforming us into His image that we have lost due to sin.

Prayer is connected with faith because it is the best means by which we can directly approach and love the God Whom we cannot see but Who is the basis of all our hopes. For this world is passing away, but what our Father offers us in Christ lasts forever.

When prayer springs from humility, the acknowledgement of our dependency and need for God, it opens channels for grace to flow between heaven and earth. Though prayer does not change God, it can change "pray-ers", who through their human relationships bring His loving grace to others.

When Christ returns He will not recognize as brothers and sisters those lacking faith, for they will bear no resemblance to Him.

Beloved Savior,
help us realize that when You knock,
we must open the door.
Amen

- Marie L. Bocko, OCDS