Standing Firm in Patient Perseverance
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time- October 16, 2022
First Reading: Genesis 32:22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121:1-2,3-4,7-8
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4-:5
Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8
“There are things in life we can never be successful in unless we persevere.” (Fr. Jun)
Today’s parable in our gospel reading talks about the most important activity in our life – PRAYER. We fail in so many things because we do not continue with them. Oftentimes, we stop whenever we find it difficult. But there are many people who become successful in their prayers, not because they know so many things in the Bible or they have that big faith in life, but because they always persevere and never give up.
Father Jun points out PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE as the main ingredients in a successful prayer. We need to cultivate these attitude if we want to be successful. The parable as explained by Jesus to His disciples, tells the importance of prayer – not to give up; and to pray unceasingly. We should “always pray “ and not lose heart or be discouraged. We should pray continually, meaning having regular time in prayer. To pray unceasingly means also that we need to have patience. A person without patience will find it difficult to pray and pray every day. “Do not give up”. Jesus told us not to give up in prayer even at times when prayer is hard for us or difficult for us to do, because “the habit of not praying is more difficult to break than the habit of praying.”
In the parable, Jesus also tries to give us the picture of how vulnerable, how helpless we are sometimes in our life. The widow persevered in seeking justice from the judge who is not willing. Jesus tells us that if perseverance will work on someone who has no the intention to help– how much more will it work when we come to our God who is not reluctant to help us.
Cultivating patience in prayer is a must attitude. The ability to stay calm, to stay composed, and to stay focus. Psalm 37:3-4 tells us to delight ourselves to God in order to have our heart’s desires. God is delighted with us when we pray because when we do, we are mindful of Him. He wants us to think of Him always, and prayer makes us mindful of Him. Talking, spending time with God every day, being still and waiting for Him patiently makes God excited to give us what we desire, for He is just and a God of justice. To be patient also means that we should not be intimidated when things are not happening the way we want it to happen. We just need to continue and persevere because God does now answer all prayers right away. Often, it takes time. Why? Because God will give us the best in the best time.
Let us remember Church that we don’t have a reluctant God. We have a Father that delights in answering our prayers. We just need to be patient in praying, and do not give up, until we have it in our life.
Recap by:
MERCY DE LA CRUZ-ESPIRITU
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stmichaelkalibo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saintmichaelkalibo
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141718362@N07/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104587191745272872189
Tumblr: http://saintmichaelkalibo.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stmichaelkalibo/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/saintmichaelkalibo/
Blogger: http://saintmichaelkalibo.blogspot.com/
iTunes Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/podcast/cathedral-church-saint-michael/id1139105076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DiiezN2MKXqq8OX7pvhaZ
