TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Exodus 17:8-13; II Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8)
Who are the Amalekites?
They appear in today’s first reading, but in almost no other part of the
Bible. Nor are they found in many anthropological
studies. There is good reason for these
absences. In the verse that immediately follows
today’s reading, God Says, “I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek
from under the heavens.’” Like the Nazis
the Amalekites hated Israel. Neither did
they respect the Lord, the God of Israel, even after His impressive victory
over Pharoah’s army. It seems that they
attack the Israelites for no other motive than hatred. For this reason, it can be said that the
Amalekites represent a compendium of evil.
They symbolize prejudice with hatred, and also all the evil caused by
natural catastrophes.
In the gospel Jesus instructs his disciples how to face
overwhelming evil. He has just informed
them of the trials that will come at the end of time. He said that they will be persecuted and will
suffer greatly. In Nigeria, the Middle
East, and China Christians risk their lives when they attend mass. To overcome this type of evil Jesus exhorts
his disciples to pray untiringly.
Constant prayer springs from an unbreakable faith. The person with this faith does not waver
wondering if God is listening. Rather,
he or she accepts Jesus’ teaching that God is like a doting father always ready
to help his children. All He wants is
that they ask Him with persistence. To emphasize
the need to pray with persistence, Jesus tells the parable of the so-called “Unjust
Judge.” However, as in the case of the “Prodigal Son,” a better name can be
given to this parable more in conformance with its meaning. It is the parable of the “Insistent Widow” who
does not cease to demand what is hers by right.
Jesus recommends to his disciples that they pray with the
same insistence when they confront great evil.
He says that they are not going to be disappointed. Once an African American pastor was teaching
his congregation the need to pray without tiring. Having grown up in times of legal
discrimination, the pastor told them: “Until you have stood for years knocking at
a locked door with your knuckles bleeding, you do not know what prayer is!””
Although he does not mention prayer in the second reading,
St. Paul suggests the same unbreakable faith to his disciple Timothy who is
confronting many challenges. As Jesus,
Paul does not want his disciple to take recourse in crude
methods but to use
spiritual weapons. He recommends the use
of Scripture to carry out his duties. Certainly,
the Bible features incessant prayer as Moses does in the first reading. The leader of the Israelites with arms raised
in the form of prayer and clinging to the staff of God as if it were a rosary
does not stop praying until the enemy is defeated.
The gospel passage ends on a disquieting note. As if he were referring to our times, Jesus
asks: “…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Today many
have abandoned the faith of their ancestors.
Although some claim that they still believe in God, they do not want to
submit to His will as found in the Bible.
One suspects that they do not pray much at home either. Among these people we like find some of our
children and grandchildren, other relatives, and friends. We wonder, “What can we do for them?” Surely
we should show them Christ by living just and holy lives. But even more urgent is persistent prayer. We have to pray persistently that they see
the true light which is Christ.
