November 14, 2026
Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 496
Reading 1
Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and
sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
For they have set out for the sake of the Name
and are accepting nothing from the pagans.
Therefore, we ought to support such persons,
so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel,
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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?”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111426.cfm
Commentary on 3 John
5-8
Like yesterday’s reading, today’s, from the Third Letter of
John, is also very short, and it is a genuine letter. It is addressed to a
Christian called Gaius, about whom we know nothing, and again the author is
simply identified as “the Elder” or “Presbyter”. Unlike Letters 1 and 2, Letter
3 does not touch on the major issues of love and right teaching, but deals
primarily with the question of hospitality shown to travelling preachers.
In Letter 2, the Christians in the church to whom the letter
was written were urged not to give hospitality to people who were preaching
unacceptable doctrines about Christ. In this letter the opposite problem seems
to exist. A person called Diotrephes (see vs 9-12), who refuses to accept the
authority of the Elder, seems to be refusing hospitality to teachers sent into
his territory. He even excommunicated those who gave such hospitality.
In contrast, the letter praises Gaius for the hospitality
that he has been giving to “brothers and sisters”, travelling preachers, who
were sometimes complete strangers and were a feature of the Church at this
time. As most local churches were small and isolated, it was necessary for them
to be visited by competent people sent by the Apostles to bring them up to an
acceptable understanding of the Christian life.
Local churches were expected to provide hospitality and
support to such visiting missionaries. Paul generally did not avail of material
help because he preferred to support himself, but he did emphasise that he had
a right to such support. But he would certainly have availed himself of
accommodation offered to him. Jesus speaks about this also in his discourse to
his disciples who were being sent out on mission (see Matt 10:5-15).
This, of course, is completely in harmony with Jesus’
teaching in the Gospels. The final judgement will be made on the basis of how
we treated strangers, especially those in need or who are marginalised. In
crime-ridden cities of the ‘developed’ West, the keeping of this commandment
becomes ever more of a challenge. But it must not be set aside.
Gaius’ behaviour is a model of Christian charity, and he is
further urged even to give them the help they need to get to their next
destination. The preachers deserve this hospitality because they preach purely
for the sake of the name—that is, the name of Jesus and his gospel—and without
any remuneration. They depend entirely for their support on the Christian
communities they come to help and serve, and they get help from no one else. By
offering them hospitality, the community is making its contribution to their
work of spreading the gospel message.
In our time too, we are expected to help support those who
give of themselves full-time to the work of the gospel. And, in most places,
people are indeed very generous in supporting their clergy and religious. With
the increase of more and more lay people devoting themselves full-time to
evangelising and voluntary work with the Church, they too deserve from us the
basic support they need in terms of shelter, food and other necessities.
As mentioned above, hospitality, which is still an essential
practice in some parts of the world, has become a real problem in more
developed societies. It is regarded as foolish and naive to trust the stranger.
As a result, our homes are heavily secured with locks and alarms and we are
slow to open the door to anyone except those personally known to us. Is this
the price of ‘civilisation’ in an ‘advanced’ country?
We offload the responsibility of taking care of the poor,
the homeless and the victims of addiction to social welfare bodies. We are
willing to help by giving money, but not by giving our Christian love
through reaching out to them on a person-to-person basis.Sometimes we may even
avoid contact with a family member who has fallen between the cracks. The
feared criticism of strangers can make us strangers even to our own flesh and
blood.
Commentary on Luke
18:1-8
One of the attributes given to Luke’s Gospel is that his is
a ‘Gospel of Prayer’. We see Jesus praying in this Gospel more than in the
others and he gives more teaching about prayer. Urging perseverance, today:
Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always
and not to lose heart.
This is very much a theme in Paul’s letters (see Rom 1:9-10;
Rom 12:12; Eph 3:13; Eph 6:18; Col 1:3; 1 Thess 5:16-17; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Thess
3:13; 2 Cor 4:1,16 and Gal 6:9).
The parable features a totally corrupt judge, who fears
neither God nor man. It also features a widow, probably the most powerless, the
most pitiful and least pitied of people in the society of that time. She has
lost her husband, re-marriage is likely out of the question, she has lost the
support of her own family and her husband’s family, and there is nothing
comparable to social welfare for her to lean on.
As far as a corrupt judge is concerned, she can be ignored.
She has neither power nor money (for bribing). But this widow is different—she
is persistent and will not give up. Eventually, the judge, for his sheer peace
of mind, settles in her favour.
If, Jesus concludes, a corrupt and ruthless judge can be
moved by the perseverance of a helpless widow, what kind of response can we
expect when we, his people, call out in our helplessness to our loving and
compassionate God?
I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.
That is, he will give them what is rightfully due to them.
But asks Jesus, in a challenge which should make us sit up
and take notice:
…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Times of persecution are on the way—they have already begun
as this Gospel is written—and some followers will give up under pressure. They
will not persevere in keeping close contact with God in prayer, so as to find
him and his peace in the midst of their sufferings.
It is easy to pray when things are going well. It is often
in times of pressure that we, too, give up praying when we need it most, when
our faith is really being put to the test. We have to pray constantly and
consistently. We should not be afraid to ask for what we believe we really
need.
But then, if God is such a caring person, why should we have
to pray to him at all? We need to keep praying, not for his sake, but for our
own. By doing so, we maintain an awareness that:
I can do nothing on my own. (John 5:30)
As well, the more we pray, the closer we come to God. And as
we pray, what we ask for will gradually change. Ultimately what we want is what
we need. And what we need is to bring our thinking, our dreams, our ambitions
totally into line with God’s way of seeing things. The problem is, as Jesus
says at the end today, how many people will really be doing that when he comes
looking for us?
How often do I pray? How consistently do I ask? What do I
ask for? What do I really want? Do I distinguish between what I want and what I
really need? And do I really have that faith and trust in the loving providence
of my God?
There is another and very different interpretation of this
passage. When we read this parable about perseverance, we usually think of it
in these terms: God is the judge and we are the widow. This means we should
persevere in pestering God until our needs are met.
But what happens if we turn that around and say that we are
the judge and God is the widow? In some ways, this interpretation makes more
sense. We, like the judge, are basically unjust. Sometimes we, too, have no
fear of God; that is, we do not allow God to scare us into being good.
Similarly, like the judge we persist in refusing to listen
to the cries of the poor all around us. But God is the persistent widow who
will not go away. God keeps badgering us, refusing to accept as final our ‘No’
to love. God will persist until we render a just judgment, that is, until we
let the goodness out, until we learn to love.*
In Genesis, we are told we are made in the image and
likeness of God. Perhaps our prayer could be:
Dear God, Persevering One, help us to be more like you!
_______________________________________________
*This second interpretation of the parable comes from Sister
Melanie Svoboda SND, Review for Religious, Sept-Oct 1996.
https://sacredspace.com/commentary
Saturday,
November 14, 2026
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
God of power and mercy, protect
us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit and health in mind
and body to do your work on earth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Luke 18: 1-8
Jesus said to 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 anyone. In
the same town there was also 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, ‘Even though I have neither fear of God nor respect
for any human person, I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps
pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face.’”
And the Lord said, “You notice what the
unjust judge has to say? Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if
they keep calling to him day and night even though he still 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?”
Reflection
Today’s Gospel presents an element which is
very dear to Luke: Prayer. This is the second time that Luke gives us the words
of Jesus to teach us to pray. The first time (Lk 11: 1-13), he taught us the
Our Father and, by means of comparisons and parables, he taught that we have to
pray insistently, without getting tired. Now, this second time, (Lk 18: 1-8),
again he has recourse to a parable taken from life so as to teach us insistence
in prayer. It is the parable of the widow who pestered the judge who was
unscrupulous. The way in which he presents the parable is very didactic. In the
first place, Luke presents a brief introduction which serves as the key for the
reading. Then he narrates the parable. At the end, Jesus himself explains it:
•
Luke 18: 1: The introduction. Luke presents the
parable with the following phrase: “Then he told them a parable about the need
to pray continually and never lose heart". The recommendation “to pray
without losing heart” appears many times in the New Testament (1 Th 5: 17; Rm
12: 12; Eph 6: 18; etc). And it is a characteristic of the spirituality of the
first Christian communities.
•
Luke 18:2-5: The parable. Then Jesus presents
two personages of real life: a judge who had no consideration for God and no
consideration for others, and a widow who struggles to obtain her rights from
the judge. The simple fact of indicating these two personages reveals the
critical conscience which he had regarding the society of his time. The parable
presents the poor people who struggle in the tribunal to obtain their rights.
The judge decides to pay attention to the widow and to do justice. The reason
is the following: in order to free himself from the widow who is pestering him
and to get rid of her. This is a quite interesting reason. But the widow
obtained what she wanted! This is a fact of daily life, which Jesus uses to teach
to pray.
•
Luke 18: 6-8: the application. Jesus applies the
parable: “You notice what the unjust judge has said. Now, will not God see
justice done to his elect if they keep calling to him day and night even though
he still delays to help them? Will he make them wait long? I tell you he will
see justice done to them and done speedily”. If it had not been Jesus we would
not have had the courage to compare Jesus to an unjust judge! And at the end
Jesus expresses a doubt: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?” Or rather, will we have the courage to wait, to have patience, even if
God delays in doing what we ask him?
•
Jesus in prayer. The first Christians had an
image of Jesus in prayer, in permanent contact with the Father. In fact, the breathing
of the life of Jesus was to do the Will of the Father (Jn 5: 19). Jesus prayed
very much and insisted, in order that people and his disciples also pray. And
this because it is in confronting oneself with God that truth emerges and the
person finds himself/herself in his/her whole reality and humility. Luke is the
Evangelist who gives us more information on the life of prayer of Jesus. He
presents Jesus in constant prayer. The following are some moments in which
Jesus appears praying. You, all of you can complete the list:
•
When he was twelve years old and goes to the
Temple, to the House of the Father (Lk 2: 46- 50).
•
He prays when he is baptized and in assuming his
mission (Lk 3: 21).
•
At the beginning of the mission, he spends forty
days in the desert (Lk
4: 1-2).
•
At the hour of temptation, he faces the devil
with the texts from Scripture (Lk 4: 3-12).
•
Jesus used to participate in the celebration in
the Synagogue on Saturday (Lk 4: 16).
•
He seeks solitude in the desert to pray (Lk 5:
16; 9: 18).
•
Before choosing the twelve Apostles, he spends
the night in prayer
(Lk 6: 12).
•
He prays before meals (Lk 9: 16; 24: 30).
•
He prays before the Passion and when facing
reality (Lk 9: 18).
•
In time of crises, he goes up to the mountain
and is transfigured when he prays (Lk 9: 28)
•
When he revealed the Gospel to the little ones
he says: “Father, I thank you!” (Lk 10: 21).
•
In praying, he arouses in the Apostles the
desire to pray (Lk 11: 1).
•
He prays for Peter so that he does not lose his
faith (Lk 22: 32).
•
He celebrates the Paschal Supper with his
disciples (Lk 22: 7-14).
•
In the Garden of Olives, he prays, even when
sweating blood (Lk 22: 4142).
•
In the anguish of the agony, he asks his friends
to pray with him (Lk 22: 40, 46).
•
At the moment when he was being nailed to the
Cross, he asks pardon for the murderers (Lk 23: 34).
•
At the hour of death, he says: “Into your hands
I commend my spirit!” (Lk 23: 46; Ps 31: 6)
•
Jesus dies crying out with the cry of the poor
(Lk 23: 46).
•
This long list indicates everything which
follows. For Jesus prayer is intimately linked to life, to concrete facts, to
the decisions which he had to take. In order to be able to be faithful to the
project of the Father, he sought to remain alone with Him. He listened to Him.
In difficult and decisive moments in his life, Jesus recited Psalms. Just as
any devout Jew, he knew them by heart. The recitation of the Psalms did not
take away his creativity. Rather, Jesus himself created a Psalm which he
transmitted to us: the Our Father. His life is a permanent prayer: “I always
seek the will of the one who sent me!” (Jn 5:1 9,
30) To him is applied what the Psalm says: “I am prayer!”
(Ps 109: 4)
Personal Questions
•
There are people who say that they do not know
how to pray, but they speak with God the whole day! Do you know any such
persons? Tell us. There are many ways in which today people express their
devotion and pray. Which are they?
•
What do these two parables teach us on prayer?
What do they teach me regarding the way of seeing life and persons?
Concluding Prayer
How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh, who
delights in his commandments! His descendants shall be powerful on earth, the
race of the honest shall receive blessings. (Ps 112: 1-2)
