Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

“Remember the marvels the Lord has done!” So, we pray in the psalm response. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom is a summary of God’s mighty deeds for his Chosen People. And the Christian world sees in the opening verses (14ff), a reference to the coming of the Word – the all-powerful Word – The Word Made Flesh. The passage continues along messianic lines “For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew…” The Wisdom author recounts God’s wonders in the life of his Chosen People – passing through the Red Sea, ultimately into the Promised Land.

Jesus speaks of persistence in prayer. We easily recognize the importance of prayer. The task of ‘not losing heart’ may be a tougher one, likewise ‘demonstrating faith.’ Perhaps we could say that these tasks are each accomplished in the other. By fidelity to prayer, we demonstrate our faith in the God who waits for us to approach in prayer, the God who says “Call on me in the day of distress. I will free you and you shall honor me…” The God who waits to hear our petition, whose patience is never tried. By demonstrating our faith in the God who loves us and supports us, we are given the courage not to lose heart. It is easy to become discouraged for any number of reasons. But by praying for what we need and for the needs of others, again our courage is strengthened, and our faith is strengthened. We demonstrate our faith by the hope we possess, by the encouragement we show to others, and by the help we give to others to help them continue their journey.

St. Augustine said that God sometimes delays in giving us what we want because He wants our hearts to expand. The more ardently we desire something, the readier we are when it comes and the more we treasure it. The very act of asking persistently is accomplishing something spiritually important. So, when the Lord seems slow to answer your prayer, never give up.

Reflection by Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB