Prayer is a demonstration of our faith, hope

A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

Today we have our final reading from the Book of Wisdom during our weekday liturgies.

And in this passage, it almost feels like a “walk into the past.”

Images are conjured up in the mention of the Red Sea, and before that, the sharp sword filling every place with death.

One simply has to recall the killing of all firstborns in Egypt: God’s response to the enslavement and mistreatment of his people, and their final escape brought about by and through God, “their deliverer.”

Wisdom, once again, is seeking for us to seek wisdom, all the time showing the results of faithfulness, as opposed to wandering away from our God.

The consequences are blamed on God, even to the point of total destruction, while the faithful are blessed and graced always by our faithful and loving God.

Of course, as always, while God gets the glory and the blame equally, this perhaps could promote a lazy and helpless response on our part as we throw up our arms and suggest that God does everything.

But as faith and religion has definitely developed over the centuries, it seems a more responsible response to admit our part in all of this.

Consequences for actions! That phrase says it all — or at least, a lot.

When we walk with God, goodness and grace and blessing seem to follow, even in difficult times.

When we stray from God, especially deep within our inner selves, things seem to go awry.

Does God make that happen? Hmm, that seems doubtful. And even when we stray, many believe that God is still there loving and blessing and waiting for we stubborn ones to open up and let ourselves be loved.

Easy words, but sometimes one of the hardest things to do!

+ But maybe it is Jesus who nails it today as he speaks in parables about the necessity, “to pray always without becoming weary.”

Ah ha! Jesus tells us we do have a part to play in all of this.

It is our praying and our constant willingness to engage and be engaged that keeps our spirit open and searching and seeking and waiting, and looking for that grace and love of God always present, but not always recognized on our part.

And this demonstration of our faith and our hope is what praying is all about.

And Jesus sums up his parable with a few questions for his hearers —

“Will not God secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?”

The implied answer is of course he will!

And then Jesus asks: “Will he [God] be slow to answer them?”

The implied answer is, of course not.

Rather, his response is always, speedily.

But then the final question is haunting and terrible, and true and needed to be asked —

“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

What do you think?

Perhaps only we can and must answer this at least for ourselves.

Pray always, and keep that Spirit alive!

Seek so to find, and stay awake so to stay alert and ready, and open to see and hear all that the Lord wishes to bless and grace us with.

Always and everywhere, and even unto eternity!

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Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.

[cover image: Karl Fredrickson | Unsplash]