Cycle C - Year II:  

16 October 2022: Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Exodus 17:8-13

Second Reading:   2 Timothy 3:14--4:2

Gospel:  Please Read  Luke 18:1-8 

The Power of Persistent Prayer!

 How often we must pray?  We must pray always and pray persistently. Pope Francis tells us that "prayer is the dialogue of the soul with God." And St. Mother Teressa of Calcutta says that "prayer is to the soul what air is to the body. If we take away prayer, the soul suffocates, just as the body deprived of air perishes."

These are beautiful quotes on prayer that lead us to the central theme of the Gospel proclamation on persistent prayer.

Our Lord Jesus tells a parable of a persistent widow to teach us something about trust and perseverance when we pray to God Almighty.  The story we hear today is often called the Parable of Persistent Prayer and sometimes the Parable of the Unjust Judge.

In the story a defenseless widow is taken advantaged of and refused her rights by the unjust judge. But through her sheer persistence, she wears down an unscrupulous judge so that in the end the judge gives her justice she prays for.    

Now, Jesus is not comparing God to an unjust judge but just saying that if perseverance obtains justice from an unjust judge, how much more from a good and loving Father? The intent of the parable is to give fresh hope and confidence to the disciples as they follow our Lord Jesus in His difficult path to Calvary.

The lesson of the parable is also applicable to us today, because in this life we can expect sufferings and adversities. In practical life, God is sometimes silent when we pray. It is possible that God does not always give what we pray for. But it does not mean God does not listen to us anymore. God knows what is good for us, and perhaps what we are asking Him is not best for us. It is, therefore, necessary that we persist in prayer and not lose heart.

The parable offers hope to those among us who are perhaps reluctant to address God with our petitions. It is both and invitation and encouragement to pray without ceasing, confident of God's desire to respond to our pleas. 

Also, it is necessary to pray for the grace of humility so that we are able to cooperate with whatever God wants to bestow upon us, regardless of our own preferences or specific requests.

At the end of the Gospel proclamation, Jesus asks a probing question for us: "But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:8) 

In other words, will you and I have faith like that of the mustard seed when our Lord Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead?

If we want to live, grow and persevere in our faith in God until the end, then we must nourish that faith with the word of God and the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.

Let us pray: Lord, give us faith to believe Your promises, and give us the perseverance and hope to withstand trials and adversities. Help us to trust in Your unfailing love, and to find joy and contentment in You alone, O Lord. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!