Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
496

FIRST READING

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

When peaceful stillness compassed everything
and the night in its swift course was half spent,
Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne
bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
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.

For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew,
serving its natural laws,
that your children might be preserved unharmed.
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.
Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand,
after they beheld stupendous wonders.
For they ranged about like horses,
and bounded about like lambs,
praising you, O Lord! their deliverer.

PSALM

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

Response: Remember the marvels the Lord has done!

Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

Then he struck every first born throughout their land,
the first fruits of all their manhood.
And he led them forth laden with silver and gold,
with not a weakling among their tribes.

For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.

GOSPEL

LK 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
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,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
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?
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?”

Daily Reflection

Prayer plus perseverance creates a formidable combination. Jesus tells us not to be discouraged when our prayers are answered after a delay, or seem to not be answered at all. Instead, He tells us to continue to approach God with complete faith and trust.

Why does Jesus ask us to persist in our prayers? Because persistence reflects the strength of our belief in God and further reinforces our ability to endure in faith. Situations and circumstances, which we encounter in daily life, will often test our faith to the limit. But if we have stayed close to God in prayer, we will be able to answer Jesus’ question with a confident “Yes! Faith in God will be found on earth when He returns”.

In the first reading in Wisdom, we are told that God is our deliverer, keeping us from harm and transforming the earth.

Knowing this, would you not make daily and persistent prayer a way of life?