LEST SHE FINALLY COME AND STRIKE ME

3 Jn 5-8; Ps 111 ; Lk 18,1-8
17 NOVEMBER

Prayer is the truth of man, just as the sun, the earth and water are the truth of a tree. The tree naturally draws its truth from the sun, from the water and from the earth. Man must moment by moment want to draw his truth. To want to he must believe. To believe he must know. But also to know he must want to know. Everything in man is from the will illuminated by his wisdom, intelligence and discernment. But these too are gifts from God and must always be asked of Him. Man sees his littleness, misery, poverty, nothingness and death. How to transform everything into wealth and life? Asking it to the Lord. By calling upon him. Begging him. Since man is always as dry and thirsty land, without water, he must always ask, he must never stop invoking his Lord, God, Creator and Giver of all life. This truth must always be taught. Isaiah is the prophet that cries out this truth.

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water; The abode where jackals lurk will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus. A highway will be there, called the holy way; No one unclean may pass over it, nor fools go astray on it. No lion will be there, nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it. It is for those with a journey to make, and on it the redeemed will walk. Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee (Is 35,1-10).

Jesus is God, the Lord, but also the true Master of humanity. Today He teaches men that they are like a widow. They are lacking in every human means to obtain something even if it is just and due to them. They are alone. Terribly alone. They cannot lean on any man. Not even those who are responsible for truth and justice come to their aid. They are really arid, deserted land, without water. Who can help? Who can free? Who can save? Who can redeem? Who can give life? Only the Lord. But everything must be asked to Him. Why must it be requested? Because man must confess to God his truth of being less than a widow. Nothing turns to the All, the wretched to the Rich, the one who died to the Giver of all life, falsehood to the Truth, the folly to Wisdom, darkness to the Light, so that he may be clothed with his God and Lord. Since this is the nature of man, prayer must be uninterrupted. Man must always ask God to dress him up of Him.

Then he told them 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?”

An image can help us. The human body lives on oxygen which cannot be accumulated in the body. The body must never tire of breathing. It does not breathe. It dies. That is how it is with the Lord. Not even He not being accumulated in us once and for all.

Most Pure Virgin, Angels and Saints ensure that we breathe God without ever getting tired.