Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: October 17

[Fidelis]

Thanks, Fidelis. You answered my question regarding, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Did any of your sources reach this conclusion? If so, who are they?

May God continue to bless all your endeavors that are done according to His will.

The sources I used were largely the ones I posted in this thread. A roundup of the commentary on verse 8 is as follows:

Navarre Bible
**8. **Jesus combines His teaching about perseverance in prayer with a serious warning about the need to remain firm in the faith: faith and prayer go hand in hand. St. Augustine comments, “In order to pray, let us believe; and for our faith not to weaken, let us pray. Faith causes prayer to grow, and when prayer grows our faith is strengthened” (“Sermon”, 115).

Our Lord has promised His Church that it will remain true to its mission until the end of time (cf. Matthew 28:20); the Church, therefore, cannot go off the path of the true faith. But not everyone will remain faithful: some will turn their backs on the faith of their own accord. This is the mystery which St. Paul describes as “the rebellion” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and which Jesus Christ announces on other occasions (cf. Matthew 24:12-13). In this way our Lord warns us, to help us stay watchful and persevere in the faith and in prayer even though people around us fall away.

Haydock
Ver. 8. In the Greek, although he suffer for the present the elect to be oppressed. (Bible de Vence) — Our divine Redeemer adds, this, to shew that faith must necessarily accompany our prayers. For whosoever prays for what he does not believe he shall obtain, will pray in vain; let us, therefore, entreat the Father of mercies to grant us the grace of prayer, and firmness in faith; for faith produces prayer, and prayer produces firmness of faith. (St. Augustine, de verb. Dom. Serm 36.) — But of this there is little left on the earth, and there will be still less at the second coming of the Son of God.

Catholic Matters/St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study
will he find faith on earth?": The question is not about God’s vindication of God’s persecuted community; God will vindicate them. The question is whether Jesus’ disciples will remain faithful to Him during the long haul caused by the delay of His return.

Our Lord has promised His Church that it will remain true to its mission until the end of time (Matthew 28:20); the Church, therefore, cannot go off the path of the true faith. But not everyone will remain faithful: some will turn their backs on the faith of their own accord. We must stay watchful and persevere in the faith and in prayer even though people around us fall away.

My other main source–the Ignatius Study Bible–didn’t specifically address this verse.

Overall, I think the consensus is something like: Jesus’ teaching about prayer here is deeply connected with both perseverance until the end (which Jesus just talked about in chapter 17), and the virtue of faith. As St. Augustine noted, persistent prayer helps to build our faith. But he questions whether we will be persistent in prayer (and thus in faith) to be ready for him when he comes again–either at the end of our own lives, or at the Second Coming.

 

[zarthan]

The sources I used were largely the ones I posted in this thread. A roundup of the commentary on verse 8 is as follows:

My other main source–the Ignatius Study Bible–didn’t specifically address this verse.

Overall, I think the consensus is something like: Jesus’ teaching about prayer here is deeply connected with both perseverance until the end (which Jesus just talked about in chapter 17), and the virtue of faith. As St. Augustine noted, persistent prayer helps to build our faith. But he questions whether we will be persistent in prayer (and thus in faith) to be ready for him when he comes again–either at the end of our own lives, or at the Second Coming.

Thanks again. I know that we are encouraged to pray unceasingly, yet many of us go through dry seasons, whether the prayers are formal, spontaneous, communal, contemplative or scriptural. Prayer is so vital to our ongoing faith, let us pray for hearts of prayer with thanksgiving.