HOMILY FOR 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME—C

ON THE SURFACE, THE PARABLE OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS JUDGE AND THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW, OR YOU MIGHT CALL HER THE SQUEAKY WHEEL WIDOW, IS ABOUT ALL PRAYER.  IN A SENSE IT IS.  BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE QUALIFIED.

IT IS NOT ABOUT HOW TO PRAY.  BOMBARDING GOD WITH PRAYER AFTER PRAYER DOES NOT GET GOD TO GRANT OUR REQUEST.  HE DOESN’T FINALLY COME AROUND JUST TO SHUT US UP.  HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT WE THINK WE WANT, BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT WE REALLY NEED.  GOD IS NOT DUMB. NAGGING HIM 20 OR 30 TIMES ISN’T GOING TO IMPROVE HIS MEMORY.

THE IMPACT OF PRAYER IS NOT ON GOD BUT ON US.  WE NEED TO PRAY QUITE OFTEN, JUST LIKE THE WIDOW DID, AND YES WE NEED TO PRAY TO GET THINGS.  BUT GETTING THINGS IS NOT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF PRAYER.  GOD IS NOT A CORPORATION THAT IS IN BUSINESS TO PROVIDE US GOODS AND SERVICES.

GOD’S BUSINESS IS RELATIONSHIPS.  SO THE REAL PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS NOT TO GET SOME SORT OF PRESENT BUT RATHER FOR US TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, TO RELATE TO GOD.  AS THE CATECHISM PUTS IT, THE GIVER IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN THE GIFT.

THE REAL LESSON FROM THIS PARABLE IS FAITHFULNESS IN PRAYER, IN FORGING AN ENDURING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.  IT IS NOT ABOUT HOW TO PRAY.

IT ALSO HELPS TO PUT THIS PARABLE IN CONTEXT WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING RIGHT BEFORE WHAT WE JUST READ IN THE GOSPEL.  IN THE CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL RIGHT BEFORE TODAY’S, JESUS HAD BEEN ASKED BY THE PHARISEES WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WOULD COME AND THE INJUSTICES OF THE WORLD MADE RIGHT.  HE BASICALLY SAYS THAT IS NOT FOR US TO KNOW.  IT MIGHT BE TOMORROW OR IT MIGHT BE AT A FAR DISTANT TIME IN THE FUTURE.

RIGHT AWAY THEN JESUS RELATES TODAY’S PARABLE TO TELL EVERYONE NOT TO LOSE HEART WAITING FOR THE KINGDOM.  IT IS TO TELL US ALL TO TRUST GOD.  IN SHORT TO HAVE FAITH.  FAITH LITERALLY MEANS TRUST.  IF AN UNJUST AND UNLOVING JUDGE WILL RELENT AND FINALLY GRANT OUR REQUEST, HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TRUST A LOVING GOD TO ANSWER US.

THE KINGDOM WILL COME.  HAVE FAITH, HAVE TRUST IS THE MESSAGE OF THE PARABLE.  THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE GOSPEL BRINGS THE POINT HOME VERY FORCEFULLY.  JESUS WONDERS WHOSE FAITH WILL HAVE ENDURED UNTIL THE TIME OF HIS SECOND COMING.   

SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS PRETTY MUCH THIS: THE QUESTION IS NOT IF GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS BUT THE QUESTION IS ABOUT US AND OUR FAITH.  THE QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE AND WILL WE MAINTAIN THAT FAITHFUL BELIEF THAT GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS?

BUT WE CAN GET MORE INSIGHT INTO THE PARABLE BY LOOKING AT IT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.  THE FIRST INTERPRETATION FOCUSES ON THE UNJUST JUDGE FINALLY GRANTING THE WIDOW’S REQUEST AND HER FAITH THAT WILL HAPPEN.

A SECOND INTERPRETATION ACTUALLY FOCUSES ON WHAT THE WIDOW WANTED.  SHE WASN’T ASKING FOR A NEW CAR, HEALTH OR RICHES.  SHE WAS ASKING FOR AN UNJUST JUDGE TO ACT JUSTLY.  AS ST. PAUL POINTS OUT IN ROMANS 10, GOD’S JUSTICE IS THE KEY CHARACTERISTIC OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND IT’S FAITH IN THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAT THIS PARABLE IS ALL ABOUT.  SHE IS, IN SHORT, FIGHTING FOR AND PRAYING FOR THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM.  SHE IS FACING DOWN AND FIGHTING INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD IN THE FORM OF THAT UNJUST JUDGE.

JESUS’ LIFE MISSION IN PRAYER AND ACTION WAS TO ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOD.  LATER IN THIS MASS WE WILL SAY AGAIN WITH JESUS’ HIS PRAYER FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FATHER’S KINGDOM.  NOTICE THAT HE PRAYS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM BEFORE ANY OTHER PETITION.  WE SHOULD FOLLOW OUR SAVIOUR AND DO THE SAME IN OUR PRAYER.

HIS ENTIRE LIFE DEMONSTRATED WHAT THAT KINGDOM OF GOD HE PRAYED FOR WOULD LOOK LIKE: THE POOR WOULD BE DEFENDED, DISCRIMINATION BASED ON NATIONALITY AND GENDER DONE AWAY WITH, THE SICK HEALED, THE HUNGRY FED AND THE PEACEMAKERS EXALTED.

JUST LIKE OUR PRAYER SHOULD FOLLOW JESUS’ EXAMPLE, SO TOO OUR ACTIONS.  JUST LIKE THAT  WIDOW IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, WE MUST BE PERSISTENT IN NAMING INJUSTICES AND PERSISTENT IN CONFRONTING THOSE INJUSTICES.  WE MUST VIEW EVERYTHING, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, IN OUR LIVES THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL; WE MUST EVALUATE EVERYTHING WE DO BY ASKING HOW DOES THIS BOTH PROCLAIM AND IMPLEMENT THE WORD OF SALVATION, THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM?

IN TODAY’S PARABLE, JESUS TELLS US:  PRAY ALWAYS, NEVER LOSE HEART.  BE TRUSTING.  BE FAITHFUL.  DOGGEDLY PURSUE MY FATHER’S WILL AND KINGDOM.  THAT’S WHAT I DID AND I ASK THE SAME OF YOU.