The three Readings today bring to mind the meaning of persistence. In the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13), as long as Moses kept his arms raised (eventually with the help of Aaron and Hur when Moses got tired), Joshua and the Israelite army prevailed in their battle against Amalek and his army. In the Second Reading (2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2), St. Paul reminds Timothy to remain faithful to what he has learned and believed. In the Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), Jesus uses the parable of the persistent widow to remind his disciples about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
What does it mean to be persistent? According to the dictionary, it is the “firm and obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” Words that are often associated with persistence include perseverance, tenacity, and endurance, among others.
Certainly we see persistence on the part of God who created us and pursued us in love endlessly. God never diverts from this path. God doesn’t throw up his arms in disgust and frustration as we so often fall back into sin. Rather, God loved us into being, and his love is what sustains us. God is the source of our being. The entirety of Sacred Scripture attests to this.
When it comes to our relationship with God, however, we might ask ourselves if this same sense of persistence that is found in God, is found in us as well. We certainly have the opportunity to do so. The sacramental graces we receive give us the power to persist in prayer. The gift of faith allows us to trust that God will provide for us in answer to our prayers, though sometimes in ways that we did not expect. Persistence in prayer is not about “wearing God down” like a child would do with a parent by constantly asking for a particular toy, until the parent finally gives in and buys the toy. Persistence in prayer is not so much about conforming God to our will as it is about conforming ourselves to God’s will in our lives. Consistent with persistence in prayer is hope – for hope assures us that our persistence in prayer will be rewarded in eternity with our loving God.
United by our Baptism we are stronger together, and our unceasing prayer for our needs and the needs of the world really do have an effect. Gathering as one in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are united in the Most Holy Eucharist-in the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Here, together, we have the persistence and the staying power to face and overcome whatever obstacles might tempt us or drag us away from our purpose in this life. For each of us is a beloved child of the Father, journeying to be one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.