Reading 1
Ex 17:8-13
In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
"Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."
So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,
but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.
Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.
Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Responsorial PsalmR. (cf. 2)
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Reading 2
2 Tm 3:14-4:2
Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
Gospel
Lk 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?"
Meditation: Luke 18:1-8
“He will see to it that justice is done … speedily.” (Luke 18:8)
Sometimes justice is hard to come by. The widow, who was trying to find justice, was unhappy because the outcome of her case was in doubt. Consequently, she decided to pester the judge until she got the judgment she knew she deserved. And this pestering ultimately paid off!
Justice is primarily a matter of rendering what is due, of doing what is right. Justice is meant to be given based on facts, irrespective of feelings or passion. It’s not meant to be obtained by persistence, determination, or persuasion. Yet this is exactly what happened! With this in mind, Jesus asked: “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:7).
While God’s justice is generally free of passion, he has a special love for the poor. And who are the poor? Not just those who are materially destitute. Any one of us can become “poor” when we lose heart, when we believe that no one cares for us, when we believe that no one is on our side, or when we believe that no one understands what we are going through.
Notice that the judge never chose this woman. But God did choose us. We are his people, his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus has become one with us, and that makes us his own special possession. He will always treat us with love and care. So when you feel poor, as if no one cares about you, all you have to do is go to the great Judge and talk to him. He is on your side! He feels for you, and he is with you. He hears your cries. Always pray, then, and never lose heart. Persist, and God will make sure that you receive the special justice that is set aside for the poor and humble and lowly.
“Thank you, Father, for your love and your justice. Teach me, Lord, how to persist in prayer and in trust. I know you will never forsake me.”
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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Exodus 17:8-13, Psalm 121:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2, Luke 18:1-8)
1. In the first reading, we see that whenever Moses’ intervention on behalf of his people flagged, those people he was charged with leading and protecting began to falter. As someone with responsibilities for family and friends, how constant are you in praying on their behalf? How could you improve?
2. Also in the first reading, notice that Moses can’t do it alone. Without Aaron and Hur to support his raised hands when they grew tired, the outcome of the battle with Amalek would have been a disaster. Moses, the man who parted the Red Sea and spoke to God face-to-face, still needed the support of friends and brothers to be victorious over his enemies. Do you believe that you too need the support of other Christians if you are to engage in and win your own spiritual battles against evil? Why or why not?
3. What occasions can you plan in the upcoming weeks to get together with others to pray for and to support one another? What would prevent you from doing this?
4. In the responsorial psalm, we read that God “neither slumbers nor sleeps” in his ever vigilant protection. Also, he is our “help,” our “shade,” our “guardian,” and “he is beside you at your right hand.” In light of these wonderful truths, what steps might you take to focus your thoughts more on God during the day?
5. In the second reading, St. Paul tells Timothy of the importance of “sacred Scripture” because it “is inspired by God and is useful” in our growth as Catholics. How can you better incorporate Scripture reading into your daily prayer and your daily routines?
6. The Gospel’s parable contrasts the dishonest judge with our loving Father who so wants to shower us with his love. Do you see God as a harsh judge or loving Father? Why? How does your view of God the Father affect how you pray to him and how you live out your life each day? This week, pray daily that your heavenly Father will allow you to experience his great love for you in a deeper way.
7. In the meditation, we hear these words regarding the Gospel reading: “Notice that the judge never chose this woman. But God did choose us. We are his people, his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus has become one with us, and that makes us his own special possession. He will always treat us with love and care.” It is so easy to forget, because of our own weaknesses and sins, that we really are beloved sons and daughters of our heavenly Father—because of who we are in Christ. Do you believe this? Why or why not? What ways of thinking are there that get in the way of your believing this Gospel truth?
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