Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 13, 2021
First Reading: Wisdom 18.14-16; 19.6-9
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Psalm 105
1O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.2Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.3Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.4Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.5Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;6O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.7He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.8He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.9Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;10And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:12When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.13When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;14He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;15Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.16Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.17He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:18Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:19Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.20The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.21He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:22To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.23Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.25He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.26He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.27They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.28He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.29He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.30Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.31He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.32He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.33He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.34He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,35And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.36He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.37He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.38Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.39He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.40The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.42For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.43And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:44And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;45That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 18.1-8
1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.7And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful imagery of God’s intervention and the call to persistent prayer. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom vividly describes God’s deliverance of His people, recounting the parting of the Red Sea and the transformation of the desert into a safe passage. This passage reflects on the Exodus, a pivotal moment in Israel’s history, where God’s power and mercy were manifest. It reminds us that God’s Word is both creative and redemptive, capable of transforming chaos into order and danger into safety. The second reading, from Luke’s Gospel, presents Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. This story emphasizes the importance of relentless prayer, teaching us that even an unwilling judge can be moved by persistence, and thus, how much more will our loving God respond to our cries.
These readings are connected by the theme of trust in God’s justice and deliverance. The Book of Wisdom highlights God’s past actions on behalf of His people, while the Gospel challenges us to trust in His present and future responses to our prayers. Both readings encourage us to have faith in God’s timing and His desire to bring about justice and peace in our lives. The widow’s persistence in the face of the judge’s reluctance mirrors our own experiences of waiting for God’s answers to our prayers. Yet, the readings assure us that God, unlike the judge, is always just and loving, and He will vindicate His people in His own time.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with prayer and our trust in God’s providence. Do we approach prayer with the persistence of the widow, confident that God hears us? Or do we lose heart when our prayers seem unanswered? The readings remind us that prayer is not about wearing God down but about deepening our relationship with Him. Like the Israelites who witnessed God’s miracles in the wilderness, we are called to trust in His presence and provision, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Let us pray with perseverance, knowing that God’s justice and love will ultimately prevail.