33rd sunday year C
Your perseverance will save you.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today's readings seem to be all about terrible loss, nightmare, and calamity. Yet they should not be interpreted as bad news. They are given to remind us that in the face of loss and trials, God cares for each of us, and is willing to be with us. As we are coming to the end of the Church year, we are reminded that God has given us Wisdom.
We should not confuse the wisdom that God gives us with intelligence; or understanding everything that happens. The wisdom that God gives us is a certain way of looking at the world. Prophet Malachi lived in a time of terrible corruption and idolatry. It was such a dangerous time that Malachi is not even his real name. Yet in the midst of all the troubles, Malachi reminds the people that God has given them the wisdom to see things as they really are. He wants them to see that even in the midst of these struggles, God is sending his healing love to help them stand firm. We too are given that wisdom; for in the midst of difficulties, the person of faith does not simply complain, but looks for signs of God's healing love.
Our God is a good God who cares us about us. There is a prayer of a devotee to the Lord Vishnu:
“Lord, I ask you pardon me for three major sins; first, I went on pilgrimage to your many shrines, oblivious of your presence everywhere; second, I so often cried to you for help, forgetting that you are more concerned than I am about my welfare; and finally, here I am asking for forgiveness when I know that our sins are forgiven before we commit them.”
If we are committed to the Lord, Jesus, then we must trust in Him entirely. Our lives, our future, and present—all is in His hands and we must trust Him. Jesus said: Your perseverance will save you. When we ask for something from the good God, St. Thomas Aquinas says we will always obtain it so long as the prayer meets four conditions: 1) we pray for things necessary for salvation; 2) we pray for ourselves; 3) we pray piously; 4) we pray perseveringly. When these four elements concur in prayer, we will always obtain our request.1)When we pray for things related to our salvation, we meet the first condition of infallible prayer.
So, suppose a man prays to obtain some illicit pleasure from God. God will not hear him, for God will not help a man in sin. But suppose a man prays to overcome his poverty or recover his health. God may or may not hear him in reference to his salvation. If acquired riches or recovered health should assist the man to heaven, God will hear him, otherwise, He will not. For riches, health, fame, glory are so many non-things in comparison with heaven. And many have abandoned God when their health or wealth returned and now suffer hell fire, forever.2) Prayer for ourselves when we pray for something for ourselves we meet the second condition of infallible prayer.
When I pray for myself I humble myself and freely surrender my will to the will of Almighty God ~ a prerequisite for gaining salvation.
God honors man’s free will; He will never force a human will to love Him.
3) Prayer which is pious: Another word for pious is devout. The pious or devout man is one who wholly subjects himself to a superior. In religious terms, the pious man promptly gives his will over to things in the service of God. Contrary to this spirit of prayer is the man who asks to be liberated from a bad habit but does not remove the occasions of his sin. This man is not pious, but impious; and his prayer will go unheard.
4) Prayer which is persevering: Only God really knows what we need and when we need it while we guess and want it right away.
When we pray with unwavering patience, however, we fulfill the last condition of infallible prayer. And such is enjoined in Sacred Scripture: “We ought always to pray,” (Lk 18:1); “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thess. 5:17)
Perseverance in the spiritual life is a gift of God that no man can merit (Trent). But St. Augustine says we can obtain it by prayer: “if we ask for it daily, we may daily receive it.”
If our prayer is persevering, meaning continual and unflagging, then God will answer us in His time. And we will receive nothing better than what God gives, when He gives it. Our perseverance in prayer will save us and God will be always with us to help us.
If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again"!
Jesus tells us "not a hair of your head will be harmed." God wants to give you fullness of peace and life. So hang in there! Have courage; keep alive the patient endurance you need to keep struggling for peace and for justice in this broken world. Let us pray for the coming of the One who says don't be afraid, not a hair of our heads will be lost.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today's readings seem to be all about terrible loss, nightmare, and calamity. Yet they should not be interpreted as bad news. They are given to remind us that in the face of loss and trials, God cares for each of us, and is willing to be with us. As we are coming to the end of the Church year, we are reminded that God has given us Wisdom.
We should not confuse the wisdom that God gives us with intelligence; or understanding everything that happens. The wisdom that God gives us is a certain way of looking at the world. Prophet Malachi lived in a time of terrible corruption and idolatry. It was such a dangerous time that Malachi is not even his real name. Yet in the midst of all the troubles, Malachi reminds the people that God has given them the wisdom to see things as they really are. He wants them to see that even in the midst of these struggles, God is sending his healing love to help them stand firm. We too are given that wisdom; for in the midst of difficulties, the person of faith does not simply complain, but looks for signs of God's healing love.
Our God is a good God who cares us about us. There is a prayer of a devotee to the Lord Vishnu:
“Lord, I ask you pardon me for three major sins; first, I went on pilgrimage to your many shrines, oblivious of your presence everywhere; second, I so often cried to you for help, forgetting that you are more concerned than I am about my welfare; and finally, here I am asking for forgiveness when I know that our sins are forgiven before we commit them.”
If we are committed to the Lord, Jesus, then we must trust in Him entirely. Our lives, our future, and present—all is in His hands and we must trust Him. Jesus said: Your perseverance will save you. When we ask for something from the good God, St. Thomas Aquinas says we will always obtain it so long as the prayer meets four conditions: 1) we pray for things necessary for salvation; 2) we pray for ourselves; 3) we pray piously; 4) we pray perseveringly. When these four elements concur in prayer, we will always obtain our request.1)When we pray for things related to our salvation, we meet the first condition of infallible prayer.
So, suppose a man prays to obtain some illicit pleasure from God. God will not hear him, for God will not help a man in sin. But suppose a man prays to overcome his poverty or recover his health. God may or may not hear him in reference to his salvation. If acquired riches or recovered health should assist the man to heaven, God will hear him, otherwise, He will not. For riches, health, fame, glory are so many non-things in comparison with heaven. And many have abandoned God when their health or wealth returned and now suffer hell fire, forever.2) Prayer for ourselves when we pray for something for ourselves we meet the second condition of infallible prayer.
When I pray for myself I humble myself and freely surrender my will to the will of Almighty God ~ a prerequisite for gaining salvation.
God honors man’s free will; He will never force a human will to love Him.
3) Prayer which is pious: Another word for pious is devout. The pious or devout man is one who wholly subjects himself to a superior. In religious terms, the pious man promptly gives his will over to things in the service of God. Contrary to this spirit of prayer is the man who asks to be liberated from a bad habit but does not remove the occasions of his sin. This man is not pious, but impious; and his prayer will go unheard.
4) Prayer which is persevering: Only God really knows what we need and when we need it while we guess and want it right away.
When we pray with unwavering patience, however, we fulfill the last condition of infallible prayer. And such is enjoined in Sacred Scripture: “We ought always to pray,” (Lk 18:1); “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thess. 5:17)
Perseverance in the spiritual life is a gift of God that no man can merit (Trent). But St. Augustine says we can obtain it by prayer: “if we ask for it daily, we may daily receive it.”
If our prayer is persevering, meaning continual and unflagging, then God will answer us in His time. And we will receive nothing better than what God gives, when He gives it. Our perseverance in prayer will save us and God will be always with us to help us.
If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again"!
Jesus tells us "not a hair of your head will be harmed." God wants to give you fullness of peace and life. So hang in there! Have courage; keep alive the patient endurance you need to keep struggling for peace and for justice in this broken world. Let us pray for the coming of the One who says don't be afraid, not a hair of our heads will be lost.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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