29th Sunday Ordinary Time - Year C
Today’s first reading (Ex. 17:8-13) presents us with a striking image of prayer. As Israel engages in battle with the forces of Amalek, Moses stands on top of a hill and prays with his hands raised up. As long as the hands are raised, Israel wins; when they drop, Israel loses. It’s not entirely clear what this meant. Moses mentions that he will be holding the staff over the battle. In any case, he gets tired after a while, so Aaron and Hur give him a rock to sit upon and assist him by supporting his arms until the battle is won. Israel’s victory over Amalek was credited to his continuing and prayerful reliance on God.
In the second reading (2 Timothy 3:14-4:2) we come across Paul’s wise and sound pastoral counsel to Timothy and the community at Ephesus. As Jesus’ disciples of the 21st century, we too are exhorted to stay with the task of praying and perusing the inspired Word of God so as to be able to preach it with our lips and our lives at all times, in all seasons, to all people, in all places. In seasons of gladness and light, we should reflect over certain texts of scripture that aptly sing our joys: “Give thanks to God for God is good, God’s kindness endures forever” (Psalm 107:1) When all is going well, it is relatively
easy to trust and rely on God, as in “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” or in “Come to me … and I will give you rest” (Psalm 23; Mt. 11:28). However, when seasons of suffering and trial darken our days and trouble our nights, it is more difficult to muster the confidence and trust that will declare, “I love you Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer” (Psalm 18:2-3). Believers in Jesus are never exempt from the task of bringing all the seasons of scripture to bear in every circumstance of daily living, regardless of how inconvenient that task might be. Stay with the task,” challenges Paul in 2 Timothy.
Today’s Gospel (Lk. 18:1-8) holds out the widow as an example of persevering prayer. Her persistence proved so powerful as to cause the judge “who respected neither God nor man” to yield to her lest she do him “violence”. Through prayer - persistent and unflagging prayer - the widow was able to tap into a resource against which the unjust judge could not prevail. It is this resource and quality of prayer that Jesus would have his disciples cultivate for his sake, for the Gospel, for the world.
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ALTAR SERVERS
If you think your child would like to be an altar server drop by the parish office before mass.
No experience necessary.
