Saturday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

Today's gospel is from Luke 18:1-8. 

The first verse dives right in and says, "Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray ALWAYS without becoming weary." (emphasis mine)

I'm a 29 year old married man with 4 kids, 50 cows, 3 jobs, bank loans, horses to ride, people to see, and places to go.  I am weary.  I've got a lot of things that are wanting my attention.  Prayer is difficult at times no doubt about it.  But still it is necessary, just like breathing.  If we stop breathing our bodies are surely doomed to die.  Same with our spirit, we need to breathe, we need to pray.  This morning my wife and I read the daily readings together and watched a video reflection.  These can be found on usccb.org if you would like to read the readings and see the reflection.  Anyway...I digress.

So as I pondered this I began to realize, when we were in youth ministry our prayer lives were like the Hulk.  They were huge!  We had all sorts of things to pray about.  We begged for conversion of souls!  For healing and help in struggling times!  We prayed for everyone, everything, all the time.  It was like the needs of ourselves and others were at the forefront of our minds and spirits and we loved approaching Our Lord to ask for help.  Now that we are not involved in ministry and our family grew and responsibilities got larger, my prayer life has become more of an escape from reality.  In the sense that I rarely PETITION God for anything, I like to MEDITATE and CONTEMPLATE and ADORE Our Lord but have not been persistent in petition.  To petition God is living in reality, you come to terms with the things you want changed but have no ability to change it.

How do we petition God, or why would he even listen to us?  Well look back to the gospel.  I love this old lady in the parable.  She doesn't care who the judge thinks he is, she wants a judgement made.  She comes back persistently to the point that the judge is like, "Okay, Okay I'll do it!"  This is huge!  Remember this is a man who doesn't fear God or man, in fact it's like he cares very little for people, yet he finds it in his heart to address this woman's petition.  Jesus is saying, if this guy who cares very little for humanity gives into persistence then how much more will God who is all GOODNESS hear your prayer?

But that's not all the pieces to the gospel...Jesus says one last thing.  "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

?Excuse me?!  Will you find FAITH, you most certainly will, I may have dared to say.  But it made me realize: petition and persistence is an act of faith in the Lord! 

Why is asking God for help and act of faith?  Because we as men and ranchers want to put faith in ourselves.  Faith that we can get it done, we will figure it out, we will solve the problem.  It's not that we lose faith in Christ.  Just like I haven't lost my faith since our youth ministry days, I'm not even mad that God hasn't answered some prayers, really I've just forgotten to ask for help.  I forget to ask for insight, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in my current situations.  I just don't think of petition as a first option.  AND that my friends is exactly what Satan wants!!  When we just forget it means we are lukewarm.  It means it didn't bother us either way to pray about it or not, we can deal with it.  Satan wants us lukewarm because God says, "be it Hot or Cold, but if you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth (summarized of course)."  It's easier for Satan to get ahold of us, our families, and communities if we are lukewarm and God throws us up!!!

Point being, DONT BE GOD's THROWUP.  I could go on and on about this but I promised to make these fast and simple.  Here's what you gotta do:  Today realize that you are weak and God is the source of all things.  Next ask forgiveness for putting your faith in yourself instead of God.  Finally all you have to do is tell God what you need.  If you don't see an answer take advice from the old woman in the parable...ask again.  Don't let yourself become lukewarm, put your faith and trust in Jesus, and be a Man guard your soul, your family, and your community (if you don't who will?).

Peace.

PS if there is anything that anybody is wishing to hear about or have explained, don't hesitate to comment.  I'd be happy to answer questions or visit about anything on the subject of living out our faith in the cowboy culture.