Faith is undoubtedly challenging. At some point in our lives, all of us have made difficult decisions in our faith lives. Some have deeply questioned their faith. In this way, we have all been “strangers” to the Church. This is one of the possible meanings for the term as it is used in the Third Letter of John. Why must strangers find their way? Why does the Church seek to welcome strangers into its midst? Faith is itself a journey. Along the way, we have seen that each person has his or her own definition of faith. Because of this, we must be supportive of one another, even if it means welcoming strangers into our midst.

The reading from the Gospel of Luke presents us with a question of justice. What exactly is God’s justice and how does it differ from that seen here on earth? The judge is quite dishonorable when it comes to respecting God or man. He only relents to the widow because she has been bothering him. In God’s eyes, will the words of the judge have any value? What about decisions that we face in our own lives? Can we trust worldly forces to render an ethical decision? As the Lord asks: “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” We cannot leave our problems only to worldly persons such as the dishonest judge. Instead, God is the ultimate bearer of wisdom. If we approach him, we are sure to find remedy.