I know that life is not easy for many families today. Prices are rising, money is becoming scarce, and many parents are struggling to provide for their children.
Perhaps some of you are worried about tomorrow. “Asa na man mi mangita og kwarta? Unsaon namo pagbuhi sa among pamilya? Kanus-a pa man mahuman kining among kalisod?”
And perhaps, in your quiet moments, you have asked God, “Lord, nakakita pa ba Ka sa among kahimtang? Naminaw pa ba Ka sa among mga pag-ampo?”
If you have ever asked these questions, please remember: God understands your pain. He sees your struggles. He hears even the prayers you cannot put into words.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about a poor widow who kept asking an unjust judge for justice. Although she was repeatedly ignored, she never gave up. And Jesus tells us why He shared this story: We must pray always and never lose heart.
At the end of the Gospel, Jesus asks a very touching question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)
In other words, when life becomes difficult, will you still trust Me?
I want to share three simple reminders.
First, when life becomes difficult, remember that God has not abandoned you.
Sometimes we think that because we are suffering, God must have forgotten us. But that is not true.
God is especially close to those who are suffering. He knows the tears of a mother who worries about feeding her children. He knows the silent sacrifices of a father who works hard but still cannot make ends meet.
And He knows the pain of those who have lost hope. Your difficulties do not mean that God loves you less.
Second, do not be ashamed to ask for help. And let us never be ashamed to help one another.
The widow in the Gospel was not afraid to cry out for justice. In the same way, when we are struggling, we should not be afraid to reach out to others.
And to those whom God has blessed with more, let us remember: perhaps God has given us something extra because He wants us to share it with someone who has less.
During these difficult times, let us become God’s instruments of compassion. Ang kalisod mas gaan pas-anon kon kita magtinabangay.
Third, when you feel like giving up, hold on to God a little more tightly.
Sometimes our prayers do not immediately change our situation. The bills remain unpaid. The sickness remains. The problems continue. But prayer can give us something precious: the strength to face another day, the courage to begin again, and the assurance that we are not alone.
Let us help each other
One evening, a woman was crying because she had very little food left for her children.
Her neighbor noticed her tears and asked, “Mare, nganong naghilak man ka?”
The woman answered, “Mare, nagproblema ko kay wala na koy igong kwarta.”
The neighbor embraced her and whispered, “Mare, ayaw kabalaka. Mag-ampo ta. Magtinabangay sab ta.”
Final Words
My dear friends, sometimes faith is as simple as that. Faith is not having all the answers. Faith is holding on to God when we no longer know what to do.
So, to every father who is worried, to every mother who is tired, and to every family struggling to survive, I want to say: Do not lose heart. You are not forgotten. Your life is precious to God. And your present difficulties are not the whole story of your life.
And to all of us, let us not leave our struggling brothers and sisters alone.
May God find in us a faith that continues to trust, a hope that refuses to die, and a love that never stops caring.