THE WICKED JUDGE

        In the gospel about the wicked judge, Christ is teaching us how to pray in a manner pleasing to God.  His lesson is this:  If a wicked judge will grant you what you wish if you insist enough, how much more God who is your loving Father in heaven.

          Let us first look at the wicked judge and see what makes a man wicked in the eyes of God.  Firstly, because he has no fear of God and, secondly, he has no regard for men.  A man who sins is said to have no fear of God.  And yet, most who sin hide their sins from men.  They have regard for men.  A  truly wicked man has no regard for men, i.e. he sins and doesn't care if other men know about it. 

        Today, we live in a wicked age in that most people are not ashamed of their sins; they go about flaunting their sins for all to see.  This is the height of wickedness.  And while this is prevalent among all men, it is common among judges in that they make decisions without fear of God and without shame towards men. . .usually in their desire to please other men or just themselves. 

        Now Christ said that if such wicked judges would grant what you asked for in justice, as long as you insist, how much more God who is most anxious to give you what you need. 

        The condition is clear, however, in that you must insist.  Or you must pray with insistence and attentiveness.  To insist does not mean to nag God for what you want.  It means to pray unceasingly.  The Saints say that this is reciting the so-called Divine Office.  While beginners recite the 150 psalms once a week, unceasing prayer would be to recite the 150 psalms once a day.  Unceasing prayer is to desire unceasingly to be with God; it is unceasingly trying to find out God's will and unceasingly obeying the will of God.  Prayer is a whole way of life. 

St. Thomas Aquinas

(08-03-10)