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Exploring the word

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Some of the great cathedrals of the world took centuries to build. The architects who drew up the plans, the artists who contributed their craft, the patrons who put up the money, and the workers who quarried the stone and laid the foundation knew they would never worship in the building they were helping to construct. Even their children and grandchildren would not enjoy the beauty of this sanctuary. Still, they hauled stone after stone and set it into place. They did it for the future, for a church that was yet to be imagined. Raising children is an act of total dedication. For about 18 years it’s an expensive, time-consuming, heart-rending, sometimes frantic, always vigilant occupation that comes with no guarantees whatsoever. There is no question that the lives of people without children are simpler, freer, more economically prosperous, and hold more possibilities for advancement in the professional world. Yet many people in every generation go on to have children anyway. It is obvious from just these few examples that human beings are willing to labor and be grossly inconvenienced for purposes they consider worthy. There is more to life than personal gain, and happiness is not always had by putting yourself first. Sometimes, total dedication to someone or something beyond yourself is the most enriching and satisfying way to live. And so each generation persists in the pursuit of its dreams. Persistence in Paul The writer of the pastoral letter to Timothy urges the leaders of the community to proclaim the word despite all obstacles, just as elsewhere in Paul the faithful are enjoined to pray unceasingly. Is this realistic advice, and are these achievable goals? For saints and martyrs, yes; all others need not apply. It could be argued that, given the strictures and dangers faced by first-century Christians, saints and martyrs were the only kind of Christians in the game. Today this is no longer true, as “faith” has been defined down to imply mere church attendance. This could explain why the word is no longer preached when it’s decidedly inconvenient, and prayer takes place largely between 9 and noon on Sunday mornings. In the biography of Paul, we learn just how darned inconvenient the proclamation of the word could be. The discomforts of the missionary trail, loneliness and misunderstanding, argument and accusation, rejection and arrest, beating and stoning, shipwreck and court trial and eventual beheading are all swept neatly under the term “inconveniences.” During the Ephesus years, Paul may well have considered the advantages of pastoring a pleasant little parish like this until retirement, enjoying the perks accorded a popular leader in a supportive community. But that would necessitate certain compromises in a message that was bound to upset the apple cart of powerful people sooner or later. Rather than water down the gospel, Paul got back on the road. This brings us to the word importunate. It means troublemaker, and one who proclaims the word of God faithfully and well is most certainly that. Importunate is a word that became attached in church tradition to the widow Jesus told a parable about. The woman is a troublemaker, not because she wants something unreasonable, but because she insists on what is right. That spells trouble even in our world today. Convince, reprimand, encourage Did the widow use a carrot as well as a stick to get the judge to consent to her demands? Because the fellow is introduced as an unjust man, without fear of God or respect for human beings, chances are the only carrot that would appease him is a bribe, which the widow certainly wasn’t about to produce. Her primary weapon in the war of attrition is the word; she irritates him with her refusal to give up and go away quietly, continuing to plead her case until he is prepared to capitulate if only to end the discussion. He is not convinced; he simply raises the white flag. It is the method by which justice often comes into the world. Jesus assures us that our persistence in prayer will have a greater effect than this, because we bring our claims for justice to One who is on the side of the just to begin with. We should not be afraid to become nuisances for the sake of the Kingdom, storming heaven with our cries for what is right. We cannot pray too many Rosaries or spend too many hours in contemplation. God will not become bored or annoyed with our persistence. If Paul is right, praying unceasingly is praying sufficiently. Anything less is not enough. Applying the word With a little help from our friends Persistence in prayer, as in the cause of cathedral-building, child-rearing, or justice activism, is not always easy. We may lose heart during efforts that do not always yield short-term results. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to hold up our arms in prayer early and often. Moses had his brother and his friend on either side of him during the long hours of battle to keep him committed to the task. In monasteries, the monks have each other, and in religious communities, sisters, brothers, and priests rely on the fidelity of the group. We all have the celebration of the Eucharist, but also family prayer at home and with other special groups in most parishes that gather for recitation, scripture reflection, and silent contemplation. Prayer is not easy, but it is also not optional. With some support over the generations, our efforts can be built as living stones into something greater than we can imagine. Related scripture links Pray unceasingly: 1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18-20; Phil. 4:6 Paul is inconvenienced: 2 Cor. 11:24-27 Paul in Ephesus: Acts 19:1-39 Jesus on prayer: Matt. 6:5-13, 7:7-11; Luke 11:1-13, 18:10-14; John 15:7, 16:26 Jesus’ example in prayer: Mark 14:32-42; Matt. 11:25-26, 26:36-46; Luke 6:12, 10:21, 22:40-46; John 11:41-42, 17:26 Living stones: 1 Pet. 2:4-8

Authors Alice Camille

importunate troublemakers persistence in prayer

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Homily stories

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

I have a picture clipped long ago from the newspaper, of Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen holding up Michael Jordan as they walk to the bench for a time-out. It was a game in which Jordan, suffering from stomach flu, could barely stand during the time-outs. But with the help of his teammates, Jordan played his heart out during the game—scoring some 50 points. I bring this photo and put it on display when I give talks to men’s groups. It conveys a message seen too infrequently in our society—that men can count on one another with their needs. The message is usually met at first with nervous laughter. Men often feel shame about needing, let alone accepting, help from another man. But after they let down their guard, the image of one man leaning on another for support becomes an emblem of pride. In this case there was nothing for Jordan to be ashamed about. So the support he was accepting from his teammate seemed heroic and selfless. This week’s gospel urges us to be persistent in the practice of our faith. The reading from Exodus demonstrates how Moses was able to remain constant in prayer only with the help of his brother Aaron and his friend Hur. Because Moses was able to remain steadfast in prayer, the Israelites emerged victorious. Who are the people who support you? Whom do you support?

Authors Tom McGrath

persistence in prayer support

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Homily stories

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

When she was little, my daughter’s favorite movie was The Sound of Music. She’d announce 20 times a day, “I want Maria. I want Maria,” referring to the movie’s main character, who is a troublesome nun-in-the-making sent from her abbey to be a governess. Thanks to my daughter, Hannah, I know the lyrics and dialogue of the movie by heart. Maria, we are told by the nuns of the abbey, will “outpester any pest; drive a hornet from its nest. She can throw a whirling dervish out of whirl.” No wonder Hannah loved her. They were kindred spirits. Like all great pesterers, my daughter had the makings to be a great pray-er as well. She already insisted we go through a lengthy litany of blessings on friends and family during mealtime grace. Her maternal grandmother was also a world-class pray-er. My mother knelt at the edge of her bed each night with her rosary beads and novena book praying the prayers of faithful souls from every generation: for the health and well-being of loved ones; for patience, courage, and fortitude; and for an end to injustice, relief of suffering, and forgiveness of sins. Most of all, seasoned pray-ers say thank you for the help of others and for the love and mercy God has shown them. Back then, my daughter only knew enough to blow me a kiss after I turned on her movie. A lovely prayer in its own right!

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

prayers persistence in prayer

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In other words

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’ “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.’ ” Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?” (from Luke 18). From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

persistence in prayer

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The inner word

27 Jul 2025 - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

In a conversation with God, Abraham explores the range of God's mercy. When have I been surprised by the extent that God extends mercy to me, choosing to forgive me and welcoming me back to the fold? Jesus not only shows us how to pray, he encourages persistence. Can I think of a time when my own persistence in prayer has yielded benefits? What keeps me from being persistent in asking for what I truly need?

persistence in prayer

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