Luke 18:1-8 Remain Faithful. Stay Calm.

Twenty-Ninth Sunday In Ordinary Time
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Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

Is prayer necessary?  If you want to persevere in your relationship with God and with others, then yes, absolutely!  If you want to grow - mature and blossom that is, then yes.  Definitely.

Prayer is essential for good physical, mental, psychological and spiritual health.  Those who pray, tend to handle harsh people with patience.  Those who pray, tend to handle crooks with courage.  Those who pray, tend to handle death extremely well.

Prayerful people tend to handle stressful situations with grace.  St. Philip Neri was known for his world famous smile.  Very few people knew he suffered from severe stomach ulcers.  St. Benedict of Nursia radiated the peace of Christ, even after some of his religious brothers tried to poison him.  St. John of the Cross wrote poetry while his faith community held him in prison.  St. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, spent the last years of his life on the island of Patmos, alone and in exile.

Regardless of the writing on the wall, when we pray we live; and not only do we live, but we end up giving glory to God.

St. Paul, in his final letter to his beloved son, Timothy, wrote the following: "Remain faithful to whatever you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it..." (2Tim 3:14).  He wrote this letter while in prison and in chains for the Lord.  Somehow he knew this would be his final letter to his beloved disciple.  In fact, it became St. Paul's last will and testament.  Read it, if you haven't already done so.  Notice how calm he is.  Notice how calm he remains.  Remain faithful.  Remain calm.  Remain in Christ's peace.   

Instead of being overcome with fear, Paul is overwhelmed with faith.  Instead of his senses turning numb, they were heightened by the sweet aroma of everlasting life.  Oh, God, how I need you!

The widow wins.  How?  How did she do it?  How did she outfox an old fox?  She prayed.  She prayed a lot.  And because she prayed a lot, she knew how to insist...and insist....and insist, and never give up.  It's obvious where she learned this lesson:  from God, in her relationship with Him.  If she could get what she asked for from the Big Guy, then convincing a mere judge was a cinch for her.

How did she win?  She persevered; which means she believed.  Perseverance means "to believe", not necessarily in thyself, but always in God.  And because this poor widow always believed in God, she always persevered ...and won.   

But be aware:  every relationship is a give and take relationship.  "The Lord gives and the Lord takes.  Blessed be God forever" (Job 1:21).

Do not be afraid.  This is not a one sided relationship.  It is a "Win-Win" relationship!

How to pray.  I think it was St. Augustine who once said, "Pray for anything that is not sinful."  Yes, pray for what you want, but always keep in mind the Lord has plans for you as well.  There is no such thing as a "Crossless" Christianity. 

The Lord did not come into the world to bring peace but the sword (cf. Mt 10:24).  Far too often we associate "peace" with good health, or wealth, or having friends and no enemies.  But as I mentioned above, the Saints never experienced perfect peace, nor did they experience a perfect life.  What they did experience is Jesus Christ. 

The name Christian reminds us of who we should be like. It also reminds us of who we should not be like. 

Remain faithful.  Stay calm.  Persevere.

P.S.  My dear friends, THANK YOU SO MUCH for keeping me in your prayers while I was on retreat.  I would also like to thank all my dear friends and students for having agreed to write (sometimes with very short notice) a meditation during my absence.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!