Year C – Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In life we look at the quality of perseverance in different ways in like. If a young child is persistent we say the child is bold, if politicians are persistent we say they are astute, if business men are persistent in following up their deals we say they are tenacious. Today we are asked to be persistent in our religion and in our prayer. Perseverance shows seriousness about our relationship with God and about our needs.

Today’s first reading tells us the story of the first military activity of the Israelites after they were freed from Egypt. They were passing through nomadic tribal territory in the Negeb and they merely wanted water but they were attacked and had a fight on their hands. Moses asks Joshua to go to battle with the Amelekites while he prays with arms outstretched for their victory in battle. But even Moses needed help as he prayed and his arms grew weary so that Aaron and Hur held up his tired arms until victory was assured. The point the reading makes is that we don’t win battles only by our own force of weapons but, in the words of the response Psalm, our help is from the Lord. We are called to pray and intercede not only for ourselves but especially for others.

The Praying Hands

In 1490 two young friends, Albrecht Durer and Franz Knigstein, were struggling artists. Since both were poor they worked to support themselves while they studied art. Progress was slow, so they reached an agreement: they would draw lots, and one of them would work to support both of them, while the other studied art. Alberecht won and began to study, while Franz worked at hard labour to support them. They agreed that when Albrecht was successful he would support Franz, who would then study art. Albrecht went to the cities of Europe to study. As the world knows, he had not only talent but genius. When he had attained success, he went back to keep his bargain with Franz. But Albrecht soon discovered the enormous price his friend had paid. With hard work his slender sensitive hands had been ruined for life. He could no longer execute the delicate brush strokes necessary to fine painting. But he was not embittered but rather rejoiced at his friend’s success. One day Albrecht came upon his friend unexpectedly and found him kneeling with his gnarled hands intertwined in prayer, quietly praying for the success of his friend although he himself could no longer be an artist. Albrecht, the great genius, hurriedly sketched the folded hands of his faithful friend and later completed a truly great masterpiece know as “The Praying Hands.” Author Unknown

In the second reading from Paul to Timothy we are reminded by Paul of other dimensions of prayer –that they be other-directed. Of course we should live and pray wholeheartedly for what we think we want. But we should at the same time pray and act not that our will predominate, but that ‘God’s will be done’. In order to be sure that we are doing his will we should be faithful to the teachings we have received and to Jesus Christ. To help us in our prayer and in discerning whether what we ask is according to God’s will or our own we have the scriptures, which can guide, teach, instruct and inspire us.

“Ralph Martin in his book Hungry for God talks about a real estate person he knows, who gets up early in the morning to pray, an aerospace engineer who prays and reads Scripture on his lunch break, and a production manager of a computer firm who prays after his children are in bed at night.” Sean Kealy

In today’s gospel Jesus tells a parable to drive home the need to pray continually and never loose heart. The parable centers on a widow who comes to a judge for a just judgement she desperately needs from him. “I want justice from you against my enemy!” she says and pesters him unceasingly with her request. The widow has neither power nor influence, but she has perseverance. The judge has no compassion, nor fear of God or respect for man. He is not influenced by religious principles or by public opinion. All the widow has is the justice of her cause, which is clearly not enough. But she has nerve and she wont give in. it becomes a war of nerves and finally his nerves give in. She exhausts him into justice and her perseverance pays off in the end.

By telling this parable Jesus is not comparing God to the unjust judge and suggesting that he only answers prayers to avoid being bothered any further. On the contrary, Jesus is saying that if the heartless judge gave in to the plea of the widow, whom he was not interested in, how much more will the heavenly Father listen to the cries of his children, whom he is concerned about, even when he delays to help them. It is true that we sometimes wonder why God delays; why can’t he speedily answer our prayer? In an age of instant coffee and instant food we are impatient with what appears to be endless delays. The danger is that we give up too quickly, that we rest our case too easily. But God has his own time and his ‘delay’ always has some purpose, though we may not see it. Are we ready to wait on God? Do we have time for him? Like the widow in today’s gospel we are guaranteed success only if we are ready to persevere till the end.

“Never Give Up!”

Years ago in Illinois, a young man with six months schooling to his credit ran for office in the legislature. As might have been expected, he was beaten. Next, he entered business but failed in that, too, and spent the next seventeen years paying the debts of his worthless partner. He fell in love with a charming lady and became engaged –and she died. He had a nervous breakdown. He ran for Congress and was defeated. He then tried to obtain an appointment to the U.S. Land Office, but didn’t succeed. He became a candidate for the Vice-presidency and lost. Two years later he was defeated for Senator. He ran for office once more and was elected. That man’s name was Abraham Lincoln. And it took Winston Churchill three years to get through the eight grade, because he couldn’t pass English –of all things! Ironically, he was asked many years later to give the commencement address at Oxford University. His now famous speech consisted of only three words: “Never give up!” Harold Buetow in ‘God Still Speaks: Listen!’ The Gospel ends enigmatically as Jesus says: “I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” That God will come to our aid is certain because he is faithful to his promises. But will we hold on to our faith? “After all that I have told you, says Jesus, is there anybody who really believes in me?” Do I believe in a God on my terms or His?

“Do you set specific times during the day to pray?” Scott Peck became a Christian after writing the best selling Road Less Travelled. He asked a nun to be his spiritual advisor. She enquired about his prayer life. “Oh, I’ve got a rich prayer life” he informed her. “I pray all the time. I pray when I am out walking. I pray when I am going to sleep. I often pray silently when I’m out walking….” “Do you set specific times during the day to pray? She innocently asked. “No” was the answer. “That feels stultifying to me, kind of rigid and unspontaneous”. “Maybe so” she answered, “but what I hear you saying is you communicate with God whenever you like it. That seems to me a very one-way relationship. If you love God as much as you say you do… you owe it to him to make yourself available to him at certain times whether you feel like it or not”. When he became a popular lecturer, people often asked him how he managed to do so much-lecturing, writing, being a father and husband, a community activist and an avid reader. He answered that he became more efficient because he spent two hours a day doing nothing, i.e. taking time to think, pray and organize his priorities. Sean P. Kealy in ‘Scripture in Church’ May we continue to pray even when He is silent!