Dear sisters and brothers,

Today the Church invites us to be united with Christ in unceasing prayer.

Persistence – what a curious quality to attach to prayer. Why do we need to be persistent? Does God need to be reminded of what we need? Does He forget what He has promised?

Jesus tells “his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” Jesus is very aware that his disciples and us tend to give up too soon, and therefore tells them the parable of a widow who kept going to a judge until he finally accepted to intervene for her. We were not told what her case involved, but because of her persistence, she got what she wanted. There is nothing impossible with God. We must always persist in our prayers, believe that God will grant our request. Whether we pray for others, change in our own lives; vices and weaknesses, explosive temper, anger, alcoholism or addiction, don’t ever give up. Prayer is always an invitation to remain patient and humble, and if we do, God in his time will listen to our prayer and grant us favours. Jesus assures us in the rhetorical question, “will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call on Him day and night?” Let us have in mind that:

* The power of persistent prayer is exemplified in our community prayers at Mass on Sundays.
* We must never give up, because with the persistent power of prayer, even the fiercest enemy will surrender.
* Persistence in prayer helps us to make prayer a way of life, and not just something we do.
* Persistence in prayer shows our Love for God the Father who has given us so much.
* If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

Like Moses who raised his arm in an unceasing prayer of intercession to God for his people, Christ’s arms are constantly open in prayers on the cross in intercession for us, the members of His new covenant.

God is a persistent listener.

Fr. Kevin