October 20, 2013: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do I lose heart when I don’t have an answer right away? If even an unjust judge will listen to a poor widow, how much more will our generous God provide for what I need? (In this picture, a group of Sisters of Providence and friends gather to pray in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.)

The Unjust Judge

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, ‘There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?
Will God be slow to answer them?
I tell you, God will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

REFLECTION

The emphasis in this reading seems to be on the judge, but the real point of Jesus’ story is the perseverance of the poor widow, even when the dishonest judge refused to give her a decision. She just kept on asking!

ACTION

It’s easy to give up on praying when we don’t have a prompt response to our request.
Do I lose heart when I don’t have an answer right away? If so, it’s important to pay attention to Jesus’ conclusion.
If even an unjust judge will listen to a poor widow, how much more will our generous God provide for what I need?