Malachi 3:13-20 / Luke 11:5-13
Whenever we are faced with overwhelming odds, we may tend to say: If we can't beat them, then we might as well join them.
Whether said in jest or in resignation, that statement portrays the powerful reality of the contradictions of life.
Examples of the contradictions of life are - the rich gets richer, and the poor gets poorer; those who do evil get the benefits, whereas those who do good end up as losers.
That was the lament of the people in the 1st reading. They tried to be good people and they tried to be faithful to the Lord.
But they ended up getting disappointed and said : It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping God's commandments?
Because the arrogant seemed to be blessed and the evil doers prosper!
But the prophet Malachi reminded the people that God sees and He knows and He remembers.
In the end, for those who fear God, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.
Malachi urged his people to persevere. In the gospel, Jesus also urged us to persevere in asking, in searching and in knocking.
In other words, we are to persist in doing good and walking in the ways of God.
In the face of the contradictions of life, we need to persevere in our faith and to persist in our prayer.
We must believe that God wants to bestow His bountiful blessings on us who are faithful to Him.
So let us keep the faith, persevere in doing good, persist even in the face of evil and believe that God will always bless us.