“When the Rule of Law disappears, we are ruled by the whims of men.”

“Unless the Christian message of love and justice shows its effectiveness through action in the cause of justice in the world, it will only with difficulty gain credibility with the people of our times.” - Roman Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World (1971)

(Gospel text: Lk 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 judge 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.'"

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones

who call out to him day and night?

Will he be slow to answer them?

I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

God's timing is different than ours. 

"This point must not be overlooked. In the Lord's eyes, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day" (2 Pt 3:8). This means that God is both very slow and very fast by our standards. We often emphasize God's supposed slowness. Yet we should also focus on His speed. God sometimes works "in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor 15:52).

"But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

For as long as I can remember, these words of Jesus have always filled me with sadness. With boundless patience our Lord put up with ingratitude, indifference and hostility on the part of those He came to save. He left his bloody footprints on the road to Calvary and there on that hill He died an agonizing death on the cross. He did all this for us. And yet He was and still is greeted with gaping yawns, crude mockery and outright malevolence.

Too many Catholics have grown complacent with the culture that has permeated our nation for nearly 40 years. They need to be awakened from their own “sleep” through the faithful preaching and teaching of bishops, priests, deacons, catechists and other leaders in the Church. Until now, with too few exceptions, our pulpits have been silent about these assaults on our faith and on our freedom to practice it. 

This must change.