Word to the Wise
Saturday, November 13, 2021 - Saturday in the 32th Week in Ordinary Time
[Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9 and Luke 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 nudge 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.'" [Luke]
NOVEMBER 13 SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER CABRINI
When I engage in pre-marital preparation for couples, I tell them that what will govern their relationship on a practical basis everyday will be "communication and expectation." Each of the two parties will have his or her "expectations." But if neither is able to communicate those expectations effectively, frustration and conflict will result. I find this advice to be helpful also in one's relationship to God. We each have our expectations and when I engage in spiritual direction with someone, I often ask what that person's expectations of God are and how do they communicate those expectations. The widow in Jesus' parable was clear about her expectations and persistent in expressing them. Even a dishonest judge could understand and finally render a just judgment. Jesus' point is that God is certainly better than that judge! The important thing is to pay attention to that widow!
Can we be clear about our expectations of God? And if we ARE clear, are those expectations realistic? Do we expect God to do everything and we do nothing? Do we try to manipulate God by multiplying devotions that are "never known to fail?" Our relationship to God is not a relationship of equals, but it IS a relationship of love. Prayer is like any communication with a loved one - sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, sometimes glad and sometimes mad. We do have to work at it to keep the relationship in good shape. That means knowing what we expect and whether or not it is realistic and fair, and what are we willing to do to help. AMEN