FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 18:14-16;19:6-9)
There appeared an unhindered way out of the Red Sea, and they leaped like lambs.
While gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stem warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth. For the whole creation in its nature was fashioned anew, complying with your commands, that your children might be kept unharmed. The cloud was seen overshadowing the camp, and dry land emerging where water had stood before, an unhindered way out of the Red Sea, and a grassy plain out of the raging waves, where those protected by your hand passed through as one nation, after gazing on marvellous wonders. For they ranged like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who delivered them.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 105:2-3.36-37.42-43 (R. 5a)
R/. Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
O sing to him, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice. R/.
He struck all the firstbom in their land,
the first fruit of all their strength.
He led out Israel with silver and gold.
In his tribes were none who stumbled. R/.
For he remembered his holy word,
spoken to Abraham his servant.
So he brought out his people with joy,
his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing. R/.
ALLELUIA 2 Thessalonians 2:14
Alleluia. God has called us through the Gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 18:1-8)
“God will vindicate his elect, who cry to him.”
At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ “For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.”’ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Today’s Gospel exhorts us to pray with persistence. We find the same message in a few other places in scripture. We see it in Abraham’s steady petition on behalf of the people of Sodom; we see it in today’s account of the persistent widow. We hear it in Jesus’ extraordinary teaching: “Ask you will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” The widow receives her request because she is persistent and we ought to be equally constant in prayer. Although we may believe that God is slow sometimes to respond to our plea, we should be assured there is no lack of concern on his part. We should not give up and stop praying. God still hears and responds to our prayers.