Persevere in Faith

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

19 October 2025

 

First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2

Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Last Thursday, October 16, I celebrated my first anniversary as a government employee. To mark the occasion, I attended Mass at San Agustin Church and ate my favorite food for dinner.

It has been a year since God granted one of my heart’s deepest desires. But the journey to get here was not easy. Without any influential connections, relying solely on God’s grace, I courageously applied to various national government agencies. Every week, I would check the Civil Service Commission website for new job postings. I took several exams, went through multiple interviews, holding onto hope each time. My private prayers and every mass attendance were dedicated to the specific intention of finally landing to a government job.

There was one particular job that I was scheduled for a final interview, only to have it canceled on the same day. The job posting was about to expire within that week, and the Executive Director decided it would be better to restart the whole process, to avoid any potential technical issues with the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment guidelines. It was heartbreaking to be so close and yet, have everything I worked for nine months suddenly went to waste, due to a procedural issue that was not my fault.

At that point, I was exhausted, so tired of applying and even of praying. Despite the physical, emotional, and spiritual drains, I would still send applications for positions I felt qualified for, showed up and gave my best during examinations and interviews, held myself together when rejected, stayed positive when redirected, prayed daily, attended mass as I used to, clinging onto Jesus. Not a single day went by without me whispering my prayer intention, trusting that one day, the Lord would answer. And yes, after the long wait, 1 year, 9 months, and 18 days to be exact, God finally blessed my heart’s desire, in His perfect timing. It was so perfect that the good news came to me on the feast day of my favorite saint. And here I am now, I just celebrated my first anniversary as a government employee, thanks to the Lord's goodness.

Today's Gospel narrates the parable on how a dishonest judge finally gave in to the persistent request of the widow to deliver a just decision for her adversary. Her perseverance led to her deliverance. How much more can our merciful Lord do to a persevering person? As Jesus said, "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."

Sometimes the answer to our prayers takes time, rejection and redirection meet us on the way. But, may we acknowledge that this is where God teaches us, the perseverance in prayer, to never grow weary, to always trust God's will and timing.

As we walk our own paths, traverses our respective journeys, pursues different goals, let us continue to trust God and persevere in everything we do. In His perfect time, He will bless us abundantly.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for all the blessings. When life gets rough, please help us to persevere and do not lose track of You. Amen.

" GAP "

“ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “

 First Reading: 2 Chronicles 36:14-17, 19-23

Likewise all the princes of Judah, the priests and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD'S temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy.

Then he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men in their own sanctuary building, sparing neither young man nor maiden, neither the aged nor the decrepit; he delivered all of them over into his grip. They burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword he carried captive to Babylon, where they became his and his sons' servants until the kingdom of the Persians came to power.

All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled." In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!'"

Resp. Psalm: Psalms 137:1-2, 3-4-5-6

Second Reading: Ephisians 2:4-10

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

Gospel: John 3:14-21

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave  his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already be condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Reflection:

By Grace Madriñan

Since my father’s death last December, I became insecure, physically and emotionally drained. I developed certain fears which I didn’t realize before. Fears which are all associated to losing the “man in the house”. Because of this, I jumped to the next opportunity that could bring me happiness, something or someone that could take away those fears. And the moment I felt that certain joy, I hold on to it with  dear life, hoping it would last a lifetime.

But God intervened before I drown to my self-made happiness. He gave me opportunities to see what I am so blinded to recognize. Then on one faithful morning, drenched in prayer, His message came to me loud and clear. First, He said that despite my urgent need to fulfill my happiness, He would still want me to do the right thing and not to be swayed by the dictates of society. Second, He said that He wills my happiness, but He wanted something that would last forever, not the transitory kind. Third and the best of all, He said that He loves me and that there is nothing He would not give to me. He asked me to “remain in His love”, “hold on” and “await His perfect time”.

The Words from today’s Gospel, clearly confirms it all: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life (John 3:16)” If God gave His only Son then, what would He not give?  There may be a gap in our hearts today, we may try everything to fill those gaps, but nothing can fill it except the kind of love that only God can give.  We may be thrown down in the pit of sorrows, but we can be assured that our Father who loves us will pull us through. Just as Jesus has died and resurrected from the cross, so shall God will redeem us from our afflictions.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving us Your Son,  Who is a clear reminder for us that there is nothing You would not give for the sake of Your people. May we remain in Your love as we await Your perfect plan for us. Amen.