Keep Praying

Reflection Date: November 14, 2026 | Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 3 John 5-8; Luke 18:1-8

Children of God:
The life of Filipina Olympian Hidilyn Diaz is a picture of inspiration.

She grew up in Zamboanga City, where limited family resources made pursuing her dream of becoming a weightlifting champion a daily challenge. She worked hard to attend training sessions, overcame doubts about women competing in weightlifting, and endured a serious knee injury that made her question her future in the sport. 

After winning an Olympic silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, she continued working toward gold, even when financial difficulties and uncertainty threatened her preparations. In 2020, she traveled to Malaysia to train for the Tokyo Olympics, but the COVID-19 pandemic left her stranded far from home, facing lockdowns, limited equipment, and anxiety about the future. 

During this difficult period, she relied on prayer and her Catholic faith, and she wore a Miraculous Medal given to her through friends who supported her with prayers and novenas. On July 26, 2021, she won the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal in weightlifting, crediting God and the people who prayed for her while encouraging Filipinos never to give up despite life's challenges. 

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus told his disciples a parable about a widow who repeatedly approached a judge, asking him to grant her justice. The judge initially refused to help her, but her persistence eventually moved him to act because he wanted her to stop troubling him. 

Jesus used this story to teach his disciples about the need to pray always and not lose heart. 

What are our inspirations for today?

First, keep praying even when the answers you seek seem slow to arrive.

There are moments when we pray sincerely, yet the situation remains unchanged. For example, we ask God for healing, but the illness continues. We pray for a job, but applications receive no response. We ask for peace in our families, but misunderstandings keep returning. 

During these moments, we may wonder whether God hears us or whether our prayers make any difference. The temptation to give up becomes stronger when we feel that we are doing everything we can and nothing seems to improve.

In the gospel, Jesus described a widow who repeatedly approached a judge and pleaded for justice. The judge initially refused to help her, but he eventually granted her request because of her persistence. 

Jesus explained the lesson: “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:7). Jesus emphasized that if even an unwilling judge eventually responded, we could trust even more deeply in God's justice and care.

Persistent prayer does not mean repeating words mechanically or expecting God to grant every request exactly as we imagine. It means continuing to bring our fears, hopes, questions, and struggles before God while remaining open to his wisdom. 

Sometimes our circumstances change, and sometimes prayer gives us the courage to face circumstances that remain difficult. We can keep praying while seeking medical treatment, looking for employment, repairing relationships, and taking practical steps toward our goals. Prayer sustains our hope as we continue doing what is within our power.

Keep praying even when the answers you seek seem slow to arrive.

Second, do not let disappointment convince you that your efforts and faith are useless.

Disappointment can slowly weaken our confidence. After repeated failures, we may begin to believe that we are incapable of succeeding or that our situation will never improve. We compare ourselves with people who seem to achieve their goals easily, forgetting that we rarely see the full story of their struggles. 

When our efforts produce no immediate results, we need the courage to reassess our approach, seek help, and continue moving forward without allowing failure to define our worth.

Jesus concluded his parable by asking, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). This question challenged his disciples to consider whether they would remain faithful while waiting for God's justice. 

Jesus knew that waiting could test their hearts, especially when they faced suffering, opposition, and uncertainty. He called them to persevere in faith rather than surrender to discouragement.

Do not let disappointment convince you that your efforts and faith are useless.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: What concern in my life makes me feel tired of praying or tempted to lose hope? 

When my efforts do not produce immediate results, do I respond with patience and perseverance, or do I quickly conclude that nothing will change? What practical step can I take today while continuing to trust God with the things I cannot control?

Children of God:
Life places us in situations where patience wears thin and hope becomes difficult to sustain. 

Let us continue praying with trust while taking responsible steps toward the good we seek. 

Let us remember that setbacks do not determine our worth and that unanswered questions do not require us to abandon our faith. 

May we persevere in prayer, remain courageous in difficulty, and keep our hearts open to the ways God leads us each day.