Faced with the injustices of the world, we are often tempted to lose heart. This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 18:1–8) reminds us, through the perseverance of a widow, that prayer and commitment are inseparable. God brings about justice — yet He also calls us to become artisans of that same justice, living in faith and fraternity.
The Voice of Justice in Salvation History
In the first reading (Exodus 17:8–13), Moses intercedes for Israel during the battle against Amalek. As long as his arms remain raised toward God, the people prevail.
This powerful image reveals the link between prayer and action: the believer never separates the cry to God from concrete engagement. The just person does not fight alone, but sustained by God and by his brothers and sisters.
Saint Paul, in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2), exhorts us to remain steadfast in faith and to proclaim the Word “whether convenient or inconvenient.”
The disciple of Christ is not a passive spectator of evil; he acts, teaches, corrects, and encourages — always with patience and hope. The Kingdom of God does not advance by force, but through the perseverance of the heart.
The Parable of the Judge and the Widow: God’s Justice
In Luke’s Gospel, we encounter a striking contrast between human injustice and divine fidelity.
A widow — the very symbol of vulnerability — stands before an unjust judge, representing corrupt power. She pleads, “Grant me justice against my adversary” (Lk 18:3). Her persistence becomes a sign of faith: persevering prayer is not an empty cry, but a renewed trust in the God who listens.
Jesus concludes: “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” (v. 7)
Luke speaks to a community discouraged by the apparent silence of God. Many early Christians expected Christ’s imminent return but saw no visible change. Through this parable, Jesus teaches that God acts according to His justice and His time. His answer is not always immediate — but it is certain.
Collaborating in God’s Work
In the light of the spirituality of the Child of Bethlehem, this parable gains a deeper meaning. God does not act without us.
He becomes present through gestures of mercy, choices for justice, and words of truth that we dare to speak. He entrusts us with the mission to be His hands, His eyes, and His voice in the world. Every act of love and justice — however small — contributes to the coming of His Kingdom.
The Child of Bethlehem, humble and vulnerable, reveals that true power lies in gentleness, fidelity, and perseverance.
To work for a just and fraternal world is to believe that prayer transforms history. It means rejecting fatalism and resignation, and living in active hope. Christ still asks us today: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8)
May our faith bear fruit in concrete gestures of justice and compassion.
Prayer of the Day
Lord, You who hear the cry of the poor, give us hearts persevering in prayer and faithful in action. Make us artisans of peace and builders of a just and fraternal world. May the gentleness of the Child of Bethlehem inspire our choices, and may Your Kingdom of justice take root in our lives.
Amen.
Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
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 there was a widow in that town who 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?”
Scripture References
- Exodus 17:8–13
- 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2
- Luke 18:1–8
For Meditation
- Do I persevere in prayer, even when God seems silent?
- How can I become an artisan of justice and fraternity around me?
- Does my faith in God’s goodness move me to act concretely for a better world?
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