Gospel for October 16 2022 – Luke 18:1-8
Gospel Reflections for October 16 2022
2022 Stay the course no matter what…
This year’s political campaign seems endless. How can we stay calm, cool, and collected in such a wild political season? Perseverance over time is a good thing and highly praised in today’s Gospel.
In the middle ages, pilgrims would travel for thousands of miles on a spiritual journey to Jerusalem to see the places where Jesus walked. They knew that if they could just get to that final destination, their lives would be greatly changed. But travel then was hard. They needed to cross rivers, climb mountains, battle weather, and travel across strange territories with even stranger people in them. Yet, they pushed on.
Finally, they would arrive in the Holy Land, and discover they had already changed. The journey itself had made them into different and much better persons who were now stronger, more disciplined, and courageous. The difficult journey taught them to to rejoice in success and learn from failure. (After all, it is a success if we make each mistake …only once!)
The journey itself can make a difference. In the amusing parable of the persistent woman and the judge, Jesus invites us to persevere in prayer. Just even starting a prayer puts things in the right perspective. It tells us that we are not entirely in control and that there is a God above us who sees the larger picture.
Praying helps us know our needs more clearly because we have to choose words to make them clear. Speaking makes them clearer to our self as well. We might just find that at the end of our prayer we are already changed for the better, even before we might receive the goal of our prayer request.
In this election year we see many challenging events. You might feel like you are walking in a strange land among strange people! Yet, we never let other people’s lack of faith, hope, or love affect us. We stay on our pilgrim journey to Our Lord.
While I hope that you receive the goal of your prayer, keep praying no matter how long it takes. You may find, like the pilgrims of centuries ago, that you like the changes the journey itself brings.
If even the most unjust of judges will finally relent to the ceaseless petitions of a widow, then how much more will God — who is, after all, a good judge — answer your prayers, and in the way that is just right for you.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
As you know we traveled to the Holy Land with Our Parish as you stayed and Ran the Place while We were gone. Father Marty and Father Bernie led the way.and I must say it was. life changing experience. We had one Hotel in an Arab section that would waken us with the call to prater at Three AM. Seeing where Jesus walked and talked was amazing.
Mass said at the different places and experiencing the people and customs heart warming.
Then going from there to Rome and the Art and cathedrals along with visiting the Vatican.
We were filled with admiration for the Faith and knowledge we had acquired.
Thanks for reminding us Father Dave.
Yes, I remember watching you all get on the bus for the Holy Land while I stayed at the parish! I am glad that I lead a group there now every year. This will be my 16th trip! I still love it!
Very encouraging.
Thank you!
Dick and I loved traveling to the most precious Holy land with you our Father Dave!!! The love of our precious Jesus and our Blessed Mother grew beautifully in our hearts!!! The secret to life now is to live our Jesus and Mary’s love and sharing it with others!!!! We are beautifully praying for a prolife world with moral prolife leaders who live ourJesus’ and our Mary’s love!! Wow What a beautiful, moral, precious, Christlike world we would have!!!! Praying, Praying Praying!!! With loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Loveeeee, franca and Dick
Yes, we all pray for that new world!
Fr. Dave,
Always find your Gospel Reflections inspiring!
Thanks for your long and unceasing journey and commitment to catechize the faithful.
Bye-the-by: Arrangements have been made for Larry to be invested in Rome, hopefully see him in Rancho Mirage next year.
Dio vi Benedica
Great news. Always glad to welcome new members to the Order of the Holy Sepulcher!
Thank-You for this fascinating reflection that you have written. So many layers of meaning!
I think that we tend to approach prayer as if it were like sending an e-mail message to God and then waiting for a direct response. I have always thought that prayer has more to do with changing our inner nature than getting what we ask for. I don’t believe that it is so much an effort on our part, as it is the flowering of God’s grace in us…..a receiving of what God already has in store for us. So, is it necessary to know whether our prayers are being answered? I believe that life itself begins to be the answer.
You have an amazingly wise insight. Thank you for sharing it.