Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 18, 2017
First Reading: Wisdom 18.14-16; 19.6-9
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Psalm 105
1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.4Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.7He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."12When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,13they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.14He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:15"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."16He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;17and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.18They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,19till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.20The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.21He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.24The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.26He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.28He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?29He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.30Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;33he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.34He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;35they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.38Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.40They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.42For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;44he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 18.1-8
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men,5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'"6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Sermon
The first reading from the Book of Wisdom paints a vivid picture of God’s power and providence in the history of His people. It describes how God’s Word, like a fierce warrior, descended upon the earth to deliver His people from oppression. The passage recalls the miracles of the Exodus, where the Red Sea parted and the people walked through safely, guided by God’s hand. This reading reminds us of God’s active involvement in history and His faithfulness to those who trust in Him. The context is one of trust and deliverance, emphasizing that God’s ways are beyond human understanding but always oriented toward the salvation of His people.
The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, who relentlessly petitions an unjust judge for vindication. The judge, moved not by justice but by the widow’s persistence, finally grants her request. Jesus uses this story to teach about the importance of continuous prayer and trust in God’s justice. While the judge is corrupt and indifferent, God is just and loving, and He will not delay in responding to the cries of His elect. The parable challenges us to persevere in prayer, even when our petitions seem unanswered, trusting that God’s timing and wisdom are perfect.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s providence and to persevere in prayer. The Book of Wisdom reminds us of God’s historical interventions, while the Gospel encourages us to seek Him with persistence. In our daily lives, we often face challenges that seem insurmountable, and we may feel like giving up. But these readings invite us to lean on God’s faithfulness and to pray without ceasing. Let us approach life’s trials with the same persistence as the widow, trusting that God will act in His time. May we, like the Israelites of old, walk in faith, knowing that God’s hand guides us even when the path ahead seems uncertain.