Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The message we receive from the Gospel reading today is about the necessity of persistence. The judge in the passage is so thoroughly corrupt that he readily admits he does not fear God and he does not respect the dignity of human persons. He has absolutely no inclination whatsoever to render justice for the sake of justice. And yet the persistence of the widow finally forces him to assent. Not because he has any desire to do the right thing, but because he fears for his own skin.
If such a corrupt individual with absolutely no natural desire to help another honest person in need can be coerced into action through persistence, how much more rapidly will our infinitely loving God rush to the aid of those who raise their voices and hearts to Him? An important aside to this is that God desires our participation and cooperation. Not because He needs them, but because it helps us to grow. Our intentionality in perseverance, especially when we least feel like it, is essential to our personal and spiritual growth. Though we may not always perceive it at first, God will never fail to come to the assistance all those who ask Him for help, even in the smallest things.