Gospel Reflection - 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time


Luke 18:1-8

Following is my reflection on today's Gospel, written three years ago for my parents' church bulletin. See my notes in parenthesis at the end of the first paragraph!  

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Our 11 year old son has been begging us to get him a bunny for two years. He sneaks bunny comments into everyday conversation; he sends me photos and videos of cute bunnies; he tries to catch the one living somewhere in our backyard; he tells me the perfect location to keep and care for his bunny (in our sunroom so that it doesn’t have to mess up our house, in case you’re wondering!) I admire his persistence and creativity in his request, but unlike the judge giving in to the widow’s persistence in today’s Gospel, we will not be giving in to our son. 

(I had to chuckle when I reread this today. Little did I know at the time that our son, now 14, would be like the widow & we actually WOULD be like the judge! Nine months after I wrote this, we did indeed get our son a rabbit for his birthday. She's a sweet rescue bunny named Dahlia who has taken over our front room, as well as our hearts!)

Dahlia

Back to the reflection...
I've struggled some with this Gospel because it's tough to relate God to this corrupt judge. Will God really give in to all of our requests if we pester Him like the widow (or my son)? I don’t think so, especially if it is something He knows will lead us away from Him. But, it’s not so much about the requests themselves. God WILL grant those requests in His own time (not ours) if He knows they are good for us. I believe what is really going on here is a test of our faith. Our persistent prayers become a demonstration of our belief and faith in God’s Goodness and Mercy. Then, “…when the Son of Man comes…” He WILL “…find faith on earth!”

What is something you’ve persisted in asking of God? Did He answer to your satisfaction, tell you to wait, or tell you “No!”?

How has your faith been strengthened through persistent prayer?


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