Today’s Gospel, Luke 18: 1-8, is the parable of the persistent widow. Some people might hear this story and think, awesome, I just have to keep praying and God will eventually give in and give me what I want! I don’t know how well that prayer strategy has worked in your life, but it sure hasn’t worked in mine!
Like Jesus does many times in his parables, he once again uses an extreme example to emphasize his point of how much God loves us, and how we need to persevere in prayer. If this powerful judge who only cares about himself will give in to the widow who has no rights, how much more will God give to those that love and follow him? The reality is, this parable is not about changing God’s mind, it’s about changing ours. C.S. Lewis said “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes me.”
So today let’s reflect on this Gospel. Let us seek perseverance in our prayer lives. Let us pray not to change God, let us pray that God changes us!
De Colores, Deacon Kevin
