As we look around our world today – whether it is the ongoing war in Ukraine or the increasing tension between China and Taiwan or the political tension in our country surrounding issues such as immigration, abortion or climate change, or car jackings and even stabbings right in our neighborhood, we see so much violence and injustice that plague the world around us. And, there is no earthly reason to believe that it can change. If you examine human history, you will find that it’s been like this ever since Adam and Eve turned away from God. That’s precisely why Moses in today’s first reading and the widow in today’s Gospel are held up to us as examples of Good News; and we can all use good news, can’t we? God’s plan and God’s kingdom will come – we acknowledge that every time we pray as Jesus taught us: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done” we proclaim with great assurance. Weariness has no place in God’s plan. Prayer is always effective – in God’s time and according to his will. Prayer will awaken in our minds an awareness that God doesn’t operate according to the rules of this world. 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 like the Energizer Bunny … until God’s kingdom comes.
The story of Israel’s triumph over their enemy that we hear about in today’s first reading is not a case of getting God to do man’s will: that is, making the Amalekites lose to Israel. Remember when this happened. This event occurred shortly after God had led the Israelites into the desert, freeing them from the oppression of Egypt and leading them back to the Promised Land. It happened right after God had fed his people quail and manna and provided them with water. All of this is according to God’s will. He will always take care of his people; often in surprising ways. We just need to open our arms and hearts in prayer, listening carefully to God’s word.
Speaking of God’s word, you will never find in the Bible that “God helps those who help themselves.” Our Judeo-Christian tradition about prayer and action, rather, is best summed up in Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build.” Both the account of the Israelites overcoming the Amalekites and the persistent widow prevailing over the unjust judge are about the struggle entailed in cooperating with God to bring his plans to fruition. Like our Israelite ancestors, like the woman in today’s Gospel, we can be certain that God’s grace and strength will be there for us just as long as our hearts are set on the mission to which he has called us.
When we hear Jesus teach us in today’s Gospel to pray without becoming weary, he’s inviting us to join him in this great spiritual journey. We say that we believe in the God of Jesus, the God who has a plan for human history, and for each of us. This belief implies that history – and each of us – are on the way to a fulfillment beyond what we can imagine. Only prayer opens us to God’s horizon. Praying without ceasing is in imitation of Jesus, who was constantly attentive and open to God’s plan for him, and willing to do God’s will, even when it meant dying on the cross.
That is one of the important lessons of today’s readings. The other important lesson is found in today’s second reading from St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. St. Paul reminds Timothy – and us – that Sacred Scripture is, indeed, inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for correction, for training in righteousness. Paul writes this letter to Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus. Just before the passage that we hear in today’s Mass, Paul writes “Understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days. People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud, haughty, abusive, ungrateful, irreligious, hating what is good, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Sounds like today, doesn’t it!?! In the face of this situation, Paul calls Timothy – and us – to faithfully proclaim the word – of course, he means the Word of God – to be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient, to convince, reprimand and encourage through all patience and teaching.
Today’s scriptures are directed to those of us who feel overwhelmed by the state of the world. The mess we find ourselves in is nothing new; and, it will be like this until our Lord returns in glory. These readings remind us, however, that if God is for us, the size of an army doesn’t count any more than lack of social standing. These scriptures call us to pray because praying is the only way we can open ourselves to allow God’s Spirit to act with power and creativity through and among us. Today’s message ultimately becomes the answer to the painful experience that so many suffer – of justice delayed and seemingly denied: namely, that God’s plan for a kingdom of justice and peace will be accomplished – in God’s time and according to God’s will. In the meantime, we are called to “pray always without becoming weary” so that we will be “equipped for every good work.” That is, indeed, good news at a time when we can all use some.