29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C (2025)
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Exodus 17:8-13
Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (see 2)
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8
October 19, 2025
The Israelites were attacked by Amalek. The Israelites did not start the war. Their response was a defensive action and it was not the work of one person.
Joshua led the Israelite forces in the battle.
Moses oversaw the battle from the top of the hill. There he stood in prayer with the “staff of God” in his hand.
When Moses grew tired, it was Aaron and Hur’s role to support his hands to help him persevere. In the same way, we are called to help one another in whatever struggles we face. Our lives in this world can be challenging. We do not face our challenges alone. We are called to help one another.
We must also remember, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” When our struggle is for what is right, God is always at our side for “indeed he neither slumbers nor sleep.” He will guard our coming and our going, “both now are forever.” Thanks be to God.
I said above, “when our struggle is for what is right.” Jesus told “a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.”
Why should we pray always?
In the parable a widow kept going to a judge to ask for his decision in her case. The judge had a reputation for neither fearing God nor respecting other people. Normally, he would not give in but in this case he does because the woman kept bothering him.
One could interpret this to mean that all we have to do is keep nagging God and He will change his mind and give us what we want. Is this what you really want?
Do you really think you can change God’s mind?
Think about it, do you really want to change God’s mind? God is the one who is all-knowing. He knows what is best. Why would you want to change God’s mind? Our prayer should not be about getting what we want. God wants us to share our sufferings with him in prayer. He wants to help us in the way He knows is best.
In the parable, when the judge gave the widow what she was asking for, we need to realize what she asked for. She did not ask for a favorable decision. She asked for a just decision.
God will always give us what is just. His will is what is right and just. That’s why we pray in the Lord’s prayer, “thy will be done.” God’s Will is always just.
When we persist in prayer, we need to both tell God what is going on in our lives that we need help with and listen to what He has to say. It is in listening and surrendering ourselves to God’s Will that we allow our own will to be changed to confirm with God’s Will.
Jesus then says that God “will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.” We might think doesn’t ask our prayers “speedily.” The default answer to why God doesn’t answer our prayers speedily is that He will answer them at the right time. I believe that. You might also consider if you delay God’s response by refusing to give your needs over to his will. We can be stubborn. We can stand in the way of God giving us what is just by insisting He gives us what we want.
Today’s gospel ends with Jesus saying, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”. Do you have the faith to trust in God’s Will over your own?
Peace,
Fr. Jeff