29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025
Exodus 17:8-13 2Timothy 3:14 - 4:2 Luke 18:1-8
“Will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to Him day and night even when he delays to help them?” (Lk 18:8)
If we give children everything they want or ask for we know that there will be problems later on in life. The lesson we learn from today’s Gospel reading is that we need to persevere in prayer because we can learn far more in waiting calmly for God to act than we might if every favour we asked for was instantly granted.
The teaching of Jesus in the Gospels reassures us of God’s loving care and that God’s justice will prevail. However, there may be a delay in the working out of events before God’s answer is clearly recognised. Perseverance is one of the great qualities of prayer.
In our society today, filled as it is with rush and hurry, with instant and ‘no wait’ service, we are inclined to expect immediate responses to all our requests and even to prayer!
Waiting for an answer is a virtue that does not come easily to us and we wonder with awe at the patience of people in third world countries or war torn areas and the absence of much complaint from them. Often it is because they have never had the experience of being able to take supplies for granted, they are prepared to wait with patience.
Sometimes God allows us to experience delays before our prayers are answered and we can only assume that there must be a reason for such delays.
Growth is a process that takes time. Relationships that spring up suddenly can just as suddenly fade away and our experiences tell us that deep and lasting relationships can be strongly bonded through the test of suffering and waiting.
Persistence in prayer is not to be understood as an effort to change God. It’s we who need to change, by growing in Faith and building a deeper relationship with God. Waiting on God affords us the time it takes for the growth of our sense of dependence on God.
“The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever” (Psalm 120)