Persistence

Jesus said, “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” (Luke 18:7).

            When I was in my first year at St. Augustine’s Seminary, Prayer seemed to be a simple activity. I would go into the Chapel and recite the Breviary with the rest of the students or a few of the prayers my parents had taught me. As I prayed, there were occasions when I felt close to God. Yet, there were other times when my thoughts wandered. The more I tried to concentrate, the greater the distractions became. Finally, my Spiritual Director advised me to start praying by taking a few deep breaths. “You must allow your mind and body to slow down,” he suggested. “But, above all” he said, “you have to be persistent.” Clearly, Prayer requires discipline.

            In this passage from Luke, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unjust Judge and the Widow to demonstrate to his followers that prayers are not always immediately answered. By doing so, he teaches them about the importance of persistence in the Prayer Life of a Disciple.

            During Christ’s lifetime, widows occupied a low position within Jewish Society. For this reason, the Jewish Law extended specific protections to them. It forbid the use of their clothes as a pledge for a loan and required their inclusion in family celebrations. Like other disadvantaged groups, widows were allowed to collect unharvested crops from vineyards and grainfields. Public authorities were responsible for the enforcement of these protections. Scripture reminded them of how God heard the cries of widows and orphans and punished any injustice done to them. Since judges were public authorities, they were expected to maintain high Moral standards. With their knowledge of the Written Law and Oral Tradition, they understood Divine Justice. Like all Jews: they obeyed God; gave proper judgments; and upheld the rights of the poor. These expectations made Christ’s Parable of the Unjust Judge and the Widow more powerful. The situation depicted in the story seemed hopeless. The judge, entrusted with the administration of Justice, was instead corrupt. He had the advantages of education, wealth, power and social position. By contrast, the widow, who had no male relative as her champion, lacked everything except the knowledge she was right. It was her conviction that God was aware of her situation that probably motivated her. Although the judge abdicated his responsibilities to God and Society and repeatedly rejected her claims, the widow’s persistence exhausted him. Her trust in Divine Justice, even when obtained through a corrupt judge, remained unshaken. He granted her Justice not for a worthy reason but a selfish one: the end of an irritation. If persistence was effective in this situation how much more so is Prayer to a Just God. Persistence in Prayer was a sign of deep Faith. Were seemly hopeless situations truly unchangeable when faced with the power of constant Prayer? Disciples who lived when Luke wrote his Gospel easily identified with the situation which the widow faced. Yet had they sufficient Faith for persistent Prayer?

            Persistence is an admired quality in our Modern society. The student who comes from a disadvantaged background but through hard work and determination surmounts many obstacles to win a scholarship to university is praised. The athlete who undergoes treatment and training to recover from a serious injury is respected. The employee who begins working for a company at an entry level position and despite many setbacks eventually occupies a key leadership position within the organization is valued. Yet, this admiration is often attached to some material benefit. With his or her education the student gets a good paying job. The athlete contributes to his or her team having a successful season. The employee helps the company sell more of its product. But persistence for the sake of a principle like Justice or the benefit of the deprived has less appeal as Catholics and other people of faith experience. Those who advocate for the homeless know real solutions to the problem require the kind of long term thinking and commitment which does not fit well with the short term concerns of elected officials. Individuals who welcome refugees and migrants to their community understand how easy it is to mobilize hatred towards them through misinformation on Social Media. People in the Pro-Life Movement have long experience dealing with an often hostile media and well financed opponents. Those involved with these movements recognize the role played by Prayer in their struggles. They persist because they know God is on their side. In time, perhaps not in their lifetime, Justice will prevail. Yet, they also recognize they cannot succeed through their own activity. They pray that God will guide their efforts, strengthen their resolve and possibly change the minds of their opponents. Sometimes despite their constant prayers, the situation may appear hopeless. Like the widow in today’s passage, they need to have faith in the power of persistent prayer.

            As I learned at St. Augustine’s Seminary, being persistent in Prayer is not easy. It usually requires adopting a different way of thinking and acting. It demands patience with yourself and the world around you. In time, I was better able to deal with distractions during Prayer. But I also realized not all prayers are answered immediately. There were occasions when after praying for a long time for an intention I was tempted to stop doing so. I then thought of the widow in today’s passage and kept going.

August 7, 2024