Gospel – Luke 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?”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
2742 “Pray constantly… always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” St. Paul adds, “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints.” For “we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing.” This tireless fervor can come only from love. Against our dullness and laziness, the battle of prayer is that of humble, trusting, and persevering love. This love opens our hearts to three enlightening and life-giving facts of faith about prayer.
2743 It is always possible to pray: The time of the Christian is that of the risen Christ who is with us always, no matter what tempests may arise. Our time is in the hands of God:
2744 Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him?
From “Springs of Mercy” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (SM-4:4,15:3,32:5,58:4,64:5)
4:4) Do not let anything remove you, not even one step from this path. You will have difficulties, insults, reproaches, but the light of the truth will shine. Without blinding, one by one will convert; you are to simply pray… Offer each moment, good or bad to Jesus… for now… only that.
15:3) Pray much; do not tire of speaking. Did I get tired of calling you? A soul is worth more than all of the beauty of creation, because it is part of Me… Pray much and help all those whom you can… I too, love you. So much more since I have elected you so that while you humble yourself, you exalt yourself and My glory will be greater.
32:5) More, much more prayer is needed. With or without the mysteries, if you are physically occupied, you may repeat ejaculations, words, thinking of the Holy Trinity or the Blessed Virgin. But may you be a constant prayer and a lasting surrender.
58:4) Glorify the Father and win back one soul each day. Do not tire of evangelizing with your lives, with continuous prayer…
64:5) Pray, little children. Pray a great deal more. You do not know how much your prayers help. Without them, everything that is happening would be a great deal more difficult.
Each week we will be presenting a portion of the following Sunday’s readings, and linking it to relevant parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and messages from the Testimony of Catalina. Pay special attention to the italicized underlined sections. This Sunday it is asked, What kind of soil will you be for the word of God? We hope this is inspiring and educational. Any comments you have are certainly welcomed.
Tim Francis prepared this educational program to help you increase your faith and love for the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother. His website is http://YouShallBelieve.com
I have known Tim for many years and recommend his work highly. He is a strong advocate for the “The Real Body and Blood Of Jesus” and the numerous miracles that occur on a daily basis. Both of us are greatly inspired by the amazing writings of Catalina Rivas. Catalina is one of the few individuals in history who personally experienced the “Stigmata Of Jesus Christ.”