Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends,
“Be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient…”
Our society loves convenience. The faster we can get something with the least amount of effort, the better. However, the Christian life is slow, and requires a desire to pursue the greater thing. Taking time to pray means slowing down and setting aside our to-do list to listen to God. Investing in holy friendships means putting time towards gathering for a meal, or simply wasting time together in order to grow a friendship that is vulnerable, and therefore has the strength to call each other higher out of love. To be Christian means to be willing to suffer and fight for the good. St. Paul reminds us of this when he exhorts Timothy and his disciples to persevere in the Christian life, no matter the cost.
When it comes to perseverance in prayer, it’s helpful to know that it will be a battle. Prayer will not always be a place of felt emotions or spiritual consolation. We will go through deserts, and seasons where taking time to pray is inconvenient. In these times, let us beg for grace to grow in fidelity to the Divine Bridegroom, as we are His spouse, the Church. Jesus also reminds us in the Gospel that when we call out to God unceasingly, he will hear us as a good father always does, and “secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night”. We are all beggars before God, and will He not give to his children what he knows they need?
However, ultimately, it’s not about mustering an unbreakable endurance on our own. It’s about asking the Holy Spirit for the grace to be faithful to the Beloved, and investing in friendships that will help us do God’s will when we feel that we can’t do it alone anymore. And the reality is, we cannot ever do it alone. I like to imagine the scene in the first reading. Moses is exhausted from physically holding up his arms, yet he knows that Israel cannot win the battle without him heeding God’s command to do so. So, two men, who also desire to follow God’s will wholeheartedly, step in to help their friend. I imagine that all the men were exhausted- but they had each other's strength to lean on, and through grace, they persevered. But what would have happened if Moses, through pride, had denied his friends help, afraid of what others thought of him in his need? Jesus himself demonstrated a humility that continued to go lower and lower, by accepting help from Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. Let us always strive to pursue God and his will in community, walking Home together.
Andrea Garcia, Assistant Young Adult Coordinator