OT XXIX [C] Ex 17:8-13, II Tm 3:14–4:2, Lk 18:1-8

We live in an age obsessed with speed and immediacy. From cooking meals in minutes to sending messages across the globe instantly, fast is the norm. This has brought many blessings—connections and conveniences once unimaginable. But some things cannot be rushed.

An oak tree does not grow faster today than it did hundreds of years ago. True friendships still require patience and time. Deep human relationships cannot be formed at the push of a button or the swipe of a screen. They require perseverance through joy and setbacks, faithfulness when things are hard, and the willingness to work through difficulties, sometimes with the help of others.

In the first reading, the Israelites on the battlefield are sustained by Moses’ prayerful posture, his hands lifted in a gesture that becomes the iconic “orans” position of prayer. Their victory is not the fruit of strategy, but of fidelity to God through intercession. Note the gesture of Moses - raised hands, the Orans or prayer posture which the priest observed during Mass when he prays on behalf of his people. But those outstretched hands also remind us of our Lord Jesus Christ when He was pinned to the cross. His death would be the final victory God would use to defeat sin and Satan. He raises his hands in surrender to God’s Providence and not as an act of surrender to his enemies. Ultimately, the battle was won not through military strategy but through fidelity and prayer. Our battles, too, are first won in prayer, not by strength or planning alone.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus frames his teaching through a parable about an unjust judge confronted by a persistent widow. But it is not the intention of our Lord to compare the unjust judge to God as an equivalent. Rather, the example is meant to show the vast contrast between a self-serving figure and the All-Merciful, Ever-Compassionate and Just God. If such an unscrupulous man could dispense justice to his petitioners when pressed to do so, should we even doubt that we will have a quick answer from the God who always has our back?
Our Lord then turns the table on us. It is not God who is on trial but us. Prayer is no longer a test of God’s efficacy but rather of our fidelity. Our Lord promises us this: “I promise you, (God) will see justice done to them, and done speedily.” We should never doubt this. Our fidelity will be tested by our perseverance in prayer even when it is difficult to do so.

Pope Francis has said that prayer is the very breath of faith. Without prayer, faith cannot live or grow. Yet prayer does not always come easily to us. One reason is that sometimes our prayers seem unanswered, and we lose heart. Jesus knew this well. That is why he tells today’s parable: to encourage us to persevere in prayer, even when it feels like God is silent.

Prayer is, above all, about relationship—a humble seeking of Christ’s mind and will. Sometimes this pursuit leaves us without words, like the young boy who, unable to recall his prayers, simply recited the alphabet in faith that God would piece together his needs. This story reminds us that seeking God is more about sincerity than eloquence. We bring our imperfect words, asking the Holy Spirit to complete and perfect our offerings. Jesus assures us: If we seek in this humble way, we shall find.

Prayer is not the only weapon we can avail of in spiritual warfare. We have the Word of God. St Paul in his second letter to Timothy which we heard in the second reading tells us that “all scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy.”

Jesus himself modeled this ceaseless prayer. The Gospels record him praying at every opportunity: by day, at dawn, in the evening, and through the night. Prayer was the thread uniting all the episodes of his earthly mission. But Christ also shows us another vital lesson: The discipline of fixed, intentional moments of prayer. Just as he, like all Jewish people of his time, paused daily to pray at dawn, midday, and dusk, so too should we dedicate specific times for God. Jesus joined his community in the synagogue, sanctifying the Sabbath with prayer. In imitation, the Church, from its beginnings, set Sunday as a privileged day for worship, a time to commune with God and each other.

The widow’s justice was rooted in truth. Our prayers too must be grounded in faith and truth. We do not bring empty pleas but the earnest desire for what God wills: love, mercy, justice, and peace. At times, we may feel as weak and powerless as the widow. But just as her persistence made her powerful, our persistent prayer draws us closer to God’s power—the power that transforms hearts, heals wounds, and changes circumstances beyond what we can imagine.

The challenge Jesus sets before us today is simple yet profound: Will we pray always? Will we keep faith, even when the answers seem delayed? In that perseverance, we share in the ongoing work of God’s justice, mercy, and love in our world. May the Lord inspire us to pray always and not lose heart, trusting that God hears every prayer and will bring justice in God’s perfect time.