Sunday's Gospel Reading

[zarthan]

“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)

What is the meaning of this question from our Lord Jesus Christ? Is it meant to illicit consternation?

 

[MarcoPolo]

I would not say consternation, but it elicits us to be prepared. The verse comes right after the parable of the Persistent Widow. Even the dishonest judge gave her justice. So when Christ comes again, how much more will He give due justice to us. Therefore, we should be sure to put ourselves in a position to receive good justice! Stay in a state of grace! It’s nothing to despair about. We have the sacrament of confession because of our merciful Lord. As long as one avoids mortal sin and goes to confession when he doesn’t, the Lord will accept him.

 

[zarthan]

I would not say consternation, but it elicits us to be prepared. The verse comes right after the parable of the Persistent Widow. Even the dishonest judge gave her justice. So when Christ comes again, how much more will He give due justice to us. Therefore, we should be sure to put ourselves in a position to receive good justice! Stay in a state of grace! It’s nothing to despair about. We have the sacrament of confession because of our merciful Lord. As long as one avoids mortal sin and goes to confession when he doesn’t, the Lord will accept him.

Marco Polo: Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut, and also help with my spelling (elicit).

 

[MarcoPolo]

…

 

[Crumpy]

I don’t know about anybody else but the verse haunts me.

It’s like at Jesus’ Passover meal when he says that someone who dips his bread in the bowl with him will betray him and the apostles say things like ‘no, not me Lord, never’

I’m saying to myself, I will have faith, I always have had faith. I am a sinner, but I have faith. I don’t really know much about the saints’ lives. They always seem to be so whitewashed and lily white. I don’t know if they were all like that. We seem to remember them at their best but even some of them were pretty wierd.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone of that high a standard. I almost wish I’d had met someone like that.

I bring out the bad side of people – because of my various tendencies. Maybe that’s why I have never met a saint.

 

[zarthan]

I don’t know about anybody else but the verse haunts me.

It’s like at Jesus’ Passover meal when he says that someone who dips his bread in the bowl with him will betray him and the apostles say things like ‘no, not me Lord, never’

I’m saying to myself, I will have faith, I always have had faith. I am a sinner, but I have faith. I don’t really know much about the saints’ lives. They always seem to be so whitewashed and lily white. I don’t know if they were all like that. We seem to remember them at their best but even some of them were pretty wierd.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone of that high a standard. I almost wish I’d had met someone like that.

I bring out the bad side of people – because of my various tendencies. Maybe that’s why I have never met a saint.

It haunts me too, because Jesus talks about the great deceptions that will occur before he returns, that if it were possible the very elect would even be deceived. The apostle Paul speaks about the great falling away, or apostasy that will occur before Jesus returns.

I know that I am weak in my faith. All I need to do is get sick, and my attitude toward others is greatly affected. What will happen to my faith and my attitude in the midst of persecution?

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Let us humbly as God together for “the grace that helps in time of need”.

The peace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

 

[Fidelis]

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.

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 Our Lord 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.

 

[cheeto1]

It always strikes me when I hear these words of Jesus. Is He implying that there
is a possibility that He could return and actually NOT find any faith on the earth?

Well, it might look like it, if He comes on Halloween!