SATURDAY OF WEEK 32 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2TH 2:14

WISDOM 18:14-16,19:6-9

My Soul's Beloved,

When we look at our world today, Lord, we see governments around the globe, where the wicked, the powerful, and the influential are controlling those whom the people have elected, trusting them to govern with justice and fairness; instead, they become puppets of the wealthy. They take bribes and hence are compromised, so they no longer are their own masters but slaves. They promote agendas that are detrimental to the people and instead crush those whom they have sworn an oath to serve. They make public declarations to uphold the law, but in private, they destroy, especially the most vulnerable, whom they marginalize and push to the peripheries beyond their vision, so their conscience will not be disturbed.

But You, O Lord, are awake. You see all. You know all. And we can wait in hope for the time of chastisement when the powerful will be removed from their thrones and annihilated. We need not despair, for You are God, the Eternal Word of the Father who leapt down from heaven into our fallen world. You took on Yourself our sins, our transgressions, our punishment, and You, the righteous and only judge appointed by God, will mete out just judgment on all - the wicked and the innocent.

It is easy to lose heart, Beloved, when we look at our sin-filled world. Never has the world been so polarized as it is in our day and age, and each faction is spewing hatred and venomous rage at the other. Nothing is too outrageous, nothing beyond the realms of ordinary decency, common sense, and logic has long since fled from both public and private discourse, and the Enemy has entered even the most sacrosanct spaces, our families. It is easy to prophesy doom and gloom, but we are a people of hope. A people of the New Covenant. Let us stay awake, be vigilant, pray, hope, and not give way to worry or anxiety. This world is Yours, Lord, it has been consecrated and sanctified by Your Precious Blood, and to You alone is given authority, Kingship, rule, and dominion. We trust in You, Lord, and those who place all their hope and trust in You will never be put to shame.

When peaceful silence lay over all,
and night had run the half of her swift course,
down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt your all-powerful Word;
into the heart of a doomed land the stern warrior leapt.
Carrying your unambiguous command like a sharp sword,
he stood, and filled the universe with death;
he touched the sky, yet trod the earth.
For, to keep your children from all harm,
the whole creation, obedient to your commands,
was once more, and newly, fashioned in its nature.
Overshadowing the camp there was the cloud,
where water had been, dry land was seen to rise,
the Red Sea became an unimpeded way,
the tempestuous flood a green plain;
sheltered by your hand, the whole nation passed across,
gazing at these amazing miracles.
They were like horses at pasture,
they skipped like lambs,
singing your praises, Lord, their deliverer.

PSALM 104(105):2-3,36-37,42-43

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

O sing to him, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
Be proud of his holy name,
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

He struck all the first-born in their land,
the finest flower of their sons.
He led out Israel with silver and gold.
In his tribes were none who fell behind.

For he remembered his holy word,
which he gave to Abraham his servant.
So he brought out his people with joy,
his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.

Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

LUKE 18:1-8

My Soul's Beloved,

Today's parable gives us hope. We ought not to worry needlessly about the corrupt state of the world's leaders. The Enemy has infiltrated the corridors of power both in the spiritual and temporal realm, and it is easy to become despondent and discouraged. But we know, O Lord, that You have won the victory. You have triumphed over sin, death, and the world. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and You alone are appointed to judge the world, and You will do so in fairness and with right judgment, for You are God.

We are invited to use the most powerful weapon we possess while we wait for justice - prayer. We are called to pray ceaselessly. You hear, and You will answer. Who do we have but You, O Lord, and having You, we possess everything. The unjust rulers of this world are here today and gone tomorrow, like grass in the furnace; they will perish. We have an all-powerful God who loves the poor, the humble, the little ones, and it is these that You will raise, justify, and bless with every good and perfect gift in the heavenly places. And so Lord, while we wait in hope for You to act in our favor at a time of Your choosing, we will pray and praise without ceasing. Thank You, Lord, for the hope we have in You; it is a hope that is rooted in Your love for us. 

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’