Persevering in prayer. 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

The graphic and expressive parable that Jesus tells us today - the widow who demands justice from the unjust judge - shows us how much Our Lord wants us to persevere in prayer. The judge is not a good man. For him, the widow is a nuisance, but precisely because she does not stop bothering him, he decides to give her what she wants just to have a little peace. Jesus tells us: "be annoying, keep knocking, keep asking". If an evil man gives the woman the justice she wants, how much more will God give us what we ask for if we cry out to him day and night.

Two lessons can be drawn from this: first, Jesus is talking about justice, something we really need. The woman is not pestering the judge to buy her a new pair of shoes. God will listen to us if we ask him for what really matters. No matter how much we insist to God, if we don't really need something, we may not get it. And then we will have to cry out day and night.

Sometimes we complain that God does not hear us, but that may be because we ask without conviction. We say a few lukewarm prayers and then complain that God doesn't answer us. The woman knocked on the judge's door every day. If we want something and it is important, we must insist. Ask a lot, every day, many times a day. That is true prayer.

Finally, there are two phrases of Our Lord that seem to contradict each other. He speaks of God seeming slow to respond to us, but He also says that God will respond to us quickly. How do we reconcile the two? Any attempt to respond must be considered within the larger context of God's action in the world. Right now there are people suffering injustice. God does not seem to be answering their prayers; nor our prayers for them. But it is also true that God has corrected many injustices. Let us think of so many advances in human rights in our society. Our own personal experience tells us that no problem lasts forever.

God hears our prayers and answers quickly. He may not always give us the solution we want or that comes to mind. Sometimes, more than solving a problem, He helps us solve ourselves. He helps us become better people in that problem, growing in virtue and trust in Him. God always gives us a part of His holiness. That is the greatest gift of all, the inner righteousness to act and think rightly, toward God and toward others, whatever the outward circumstances. By striving to be righteous within ourselves, we will contribute to creating a more just society through our social action and, above all, our constant prayer.