Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I am thinking in a special way of Adam and Stephanie today.  I am simply in awe of parents and how lovingly and hopefully they take on this charge of baptizing their children.  How many parents I have known now in my life who have given their all to this charge.  And so I salute you young parents.  Don’t give up.  I promise you the prayers and support of the church as you begin this wondrous, joyful, yet daunting task.

We meet Moses, whom we all remember kept holding up his hands over the outnumbered Israelite army.  But, since he is human, he soon grows weary, and so he has to be supported by others to continue his perseverance.  He knew his mission, but he also never relied on his own talents – but always on God’s word.  The book of Exodus calls him “the humblest man on earth.”

The apostle who writes to Timothy lives in a time of the church when persecution and defeat are everywhere.  He understands that Christians are getting weary, including Timothy.  But there is this bold charge to his protege: “Be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.”

And then the parable of the persistent widow!  She never gave up in her prayer or in the actions that flowed from it.  There was no earthly reason to expect success.  Of course, Jesus’ audience probably chuckled at the story as they pictured the pompous judge coming around to do what the widow asked, trying to preserve his dignity as others snickered at seeing who had worn him down.

The widow is a stock figure in gospel parables who had no clout in the community but who came back day after day after day demanding justice.   The story makes it clear that the widow prayed always.  Like Moses, she too most likely got weary and had to be propped up by others.  Her prayer was persistent.

As we look around at our political situation, at the injustice and violence that plague our country and world, there is no earthly reason to believe that it can all change.  That’s precisely why our widow friend is held up to us as an example.  Weariness is no excuse.

Although we may often be a church that grows weary and frightened, we promise, despite this, to be consistent and persistent and caring in our support of the widow, the sick, the poor, the displaced, and the children in our midst.

Only prayer will open us to the grace to overcome the inevitable disillusionments we meet in life.  Only prayer can open us to the inspirations that will keep us going, and going, and going… until justice reigns.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor