In the first sentence of the Gospel Reading, the Church gives us the theme for this Sunday’s readings: “Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary” (Luke 18:1).  All of the readings come together to teach us important lessons about prayer.

     Firstly, the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13) drives home that prayer is something to be taken seriously, and our prayers have an effect on others’ welfare and the conditions of the world around us.  We may not be in a physical war, but we know that this life is a battle for souls who are so precious to God that He sent His only Son to die for them and raised Him up that we might all share the eternal, divine life of the Trinity.

     Secondly, we need strength and faith to persevere in prayer to the end, when our prayers bear their fruit.  As the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 121:1-8) exhorts us, God—and our trust in Him—are the ultimate source of our strength; He is always with us, protecting and guarding us.  God is not like the dishonest judge in Jesus’ parable, who only acted justly to avoid the widow’s retaliation.  God is infinitely good, loving, and merciful; He hears the prayers of those who call out to Him in faith, and whose very lives are an expression of living faith.  Without faith, we can do nothing and our prayers can do nothing, which is why Jesus poses the question, “But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8b).  However, through faith, there are no limits on what our prayers and our lives can accomplish, because God is limitless.

     And in order to have faith in God—or to increase it—we must come to know God and experience His trustworthiness.  In the Second Reading (2 Timothy 1:14-4:2), Saint Paul makes a strong case for the power and necessity of Scripture in our lives.  Strengthened by encountering God in Scripture, we are enabled to trust in Him as we persevere in prayer.  Furthermore, our faith and our prayer become expressed in the totality of our lives.  As we live our vocation within the circumstances in which God has placed us, we offer everything to God in faith and love, and we do everything in Him, with Him, and through Him.  Therefore, all of our life, no matter how ordinary or small it may seem, becomes a prayer of faith and perseverance.

     Finally, just as Moses needed the help of Aaron and Hur to support him as he persevered in prayer for the Israelites’ victory, we also need one another to persevere in a life of prayer and faith.  This truth goes both ways: we can be strengthened by others’ prayers, words, and witness, and we can do the same for others.  Even a gesture as simple as letting someone know we offered a Rosary for them, or occasionally checking in on them by asking how they are doing, can have a greater effect than we might expect.  God lives in us, and as we faithfully listen to His promptings, we will be amazed at how He uses our prayers and our lives that are living prayers.

* image courtesy of: https://www.sacerdotus.com

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