« And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”»
Apart from the definition of this Judge with the word 'dishonest', which probably comes from a translation from the Greek of Alexandria in Egypt(º), with the parable of the 'dishonest' judge Jesus says that it is only with prayer and request assiduous and nagging that one gets granted by someone from whom he asks something.
The widow and the dishonest judge In the case of God it would be a mortal sin to think that he does not answer prayers because he is lazy like the judge in the parable, who continually postpones the sentence to avoid working or taking responsibility for his judgments, or perhaps it could be that in this case it is agree with the widow's opponent.
God, on the other hand, sees deep down, knows the past, the present and all possible futures, so he doesn't do anything without reason and always makes the best decisions.
To better explain my thoughts, the comparison with the game of chess comes to mind. I would imagine God as a chess player, and humanity as the player sitting on the opposite side of the board.
However, while my vision is limited to my human chessboard, God's chessboard is not just the world, but the entire Universe that he created.
Continuing the metaphor, my first move on the chessboard is what I am asking of Him with my prayer, from which He knows the sincerity and righteousness, and therefore the probable consequences.
In other words, while I have limited vision, on the first move as on every move he sees ALL possible future consequent moves. So He will know right away how the game ends up for me, before I do anything. In the case of prayer to ask Him for something only GOD knows how it will end if he answers me. From this we also understand what, in my opinion, is the error of predestination that certain Christians imagine for man.
Our assiduous prayer and the awareness of being in his presence at every moment of the day also serve this purpose, that is, to recognize in conscience what it is appropriate to ask of him.
SINCE I KNOW I'M NOT A VERY SMART PERSON, but I would do it even if I weren't, let me explain better.
I take three sentences from "The Way", the famous booklet of aphorisms by Saint Josemaría Escrivà. I'm traslating them from Castilian, because unfortunately - as a forgetful and confusing old man - I don't remember where I put the English version. However, everything is still understandable. Let's read:
- item 562: be confident with your own Guardian Angel. - treat him like a friendly friend - he is so - and he will be able to provide you with a lot of services on ordinary occasions every day.
- item 566: where are there many occasions to twist in this environment? - Good. But by chance there aren't also the Guatdians?
- item 567: Call your Guardian, at the time of the trial, and he will teach you against the devil and he will draw you holy inspirations.
I realize that today many people might make fun of me, or worry about me like a child who has an imaginary friend and needs the help of a psychiatrist.
But I know that I always have him with me, my Guardian Angel whom I affectionately call with a name that I won't tell you, but appropriate because I would like him to resemble me in his naive character.
All I have to do is remember to ask for his help in time and he always gives it to me, often even making me find a place to park my car in the middle of a terrible traffic jam. I arrive and someone comes out and gives me his seat.
TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN'T ASK FOR HIS HELP WHEN I PRAY TO THE LORD. AND ALL THE MORE WHEN I ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FOR A MISTAKE I HAVE MADE, OR WHEN I GET ABOUT TO ASK SOMETHING FROM GOD, BE IT FOR ME, FOR MY FAMILY, OR FOR MY NEIGHBOR, OR FOR ANYTHING, EVEN THE SMALLEST ONE.
Be careful, however, as there is also Satan - the evil one in whom many do not believe although Jesus himself confirmed its existence - who acts in the history of each of us, even if in the end we hope that he is destined to be defeated.h.
While reading the final sentence of this passage from the Gospel, Jesus' question shocks me and I feel a certain shiver.
Is it possible that Jesus foresees that on earth at a certain point faith in him will be extinct?
This encourages me to always pray that this event never occurs. and to ask that He shall strengthen my faith.
End of commentary
HISTORICAL NOTE
- Note on the original languages of the Gospels: Anyone like me who completed classical studies many decades ago, and studied ancient Greek, knows that a Greek word or expression can have several meanings. For sentences then the meaning can also be very different from the literal one. in this case the Greek is actually the one spoken in Alexandria, Egypt, different from the classical one, they tell me.
- The Angels in the Christian tradition. Reading the 'Acts of the Apostles' - which I suggest to everyone because it shows what the life of the Apostles and the first Christians was like, and what the environment was like in the territories of the Roman Empire in those times - shows how in the Christian tradition the May angels always be present, and may they assist the Apostles and all Christians.
- The existance of the devil. Be careful, however, as there is also Satan - the evil one in whom many do not believe although Jesus himself confirmed his existence - who acts in the history of each of us, even if in the end we hope that he is destined to be defeated.
Don't worry ! the mercy of Jesus
is INFINITE
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18,1-8.
También les refirió Jesús una parábola sobre la necesidad de orar siempre, y no desmayar,
2 diciendo: Había en una ciudad un juez, que ni temía a Dios, ni respetaba a hombre. 3 Había también en aquella ciudad una viuda, la cual venía a él, diciendo: Hazme justicia de mi adversario.
4 Y él no quiso por algún tiempo; pero después de esto dijo dentro de sí: Aunque ni temo a Dios, ni tengo respeto a hombre, 5 sin embargo, porque esta viuda me es molesta, le haré justicia, no sea que viniendo de continuo, me agote la paciencia.
6 Y dijo el Señor: Oíd lo que dijo el juez injusto. 7 ¿Y acaso Dios no hará justicia a sus escogidos, que claman a él día y noche?
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