Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time

October 19, 2025

Luke 18: 1-8

For several Sundays we have been reflecting in the gospels on how we are charged with furthering the Kingdom of God by our actions, by how we live. Today the message has a little different twist. Today we are reminded that part of our mission as a Christian, as Christ’s presence today, is in our prayer. It is not our actions or example alone that brings about the kingdom. We are told by Jesus to pray without losing heart.

Our prayer often does not seem to have results, or at least, not the ones we want. We can come to see prayer as a means to an end, as a way to remind God what we want and need; and, we want to see results, the results we want. In that way we are just like the widow. But the emphasis of the parable is really not on the widow at all; it is all about the judge. The judge who does not respect God or human beings. The judge changes his mind, not by wanting to be fair, but because the widow will not give up; in fact, he is afraid she will turn to violence.

We might ask: well, what does this have to do with God? We can understand the merit of the widow’s persistence. We can perhaps understand that persistence in prayer is something we must have. But there is no way we can equate the unfair judge with God. We might ask what has been left out or unsaid in the picture that has been painted for us? What is missing is the motivation for prayer to begin with. Prayer is the state of being in communion and communication with God. Prayer is a relationship. The important ingredient that both the widow and the ill-natured judge are missing is love.

You see, prayer is really not so much about justice, as it is about perseverance, fidelity, faith, hope, and love. Prayer is not a means to an end, it is about relationship. What can we bring to prayer to ward off weariness? Love is what drives away weariness when we feel that our prayer is useless or empty.

Jesus is not suggesting that we spend all our time in prayer. Rather, he is encouraging us to pray, to keep on going, and to nurture our relationship with him even when we feel weary. It is this love we have of God and one another that is what prayer is about. Jesus is also telling us something about God. He loves us unconditionally; he is utterly faithful to us; he wants nothing but our good; he wants nothing short of us, that is you and me as an individual who have become his son or daughter. We should never grow weary of approaching God in prayer. As St. Augustine wrote in a commentary on Psalm 147:

'The Lord lifts up those who are the bowed down.'

He will give you a kiss, a sign of affection, love, mercy, and forgiveness.

He will return to you the dignity you lost. You fear punishment and he kisses you and sets you free. You fear being scolded, and he entertains you with a banquet.

The problem with prayer and praying always is that all too often in subtle ways, our prayer becomes about us, not God. Our prayer becomes self-conscience and self-absorbed. It is not interested in bringing about the Kingdom at all. It is about what I want, or what someone close to me wants or needs. What is the result about prayer that is selfless and centered on God? Sr. Ruth Burrows says it best: “The truth is Jesus will set us free from this futile self-preoccupation.” That is the goal of praying always: to be in relation with Our Lord and concerned with our love for him and for others to be joined with him.

We can ask ourselves: When we grow tired in prayer, what role has love played in reviving us?

Fr. John Tran