READINGS FOR THE 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY, 16TH OCTOBER, 2022.

First Reading: Exodus 17: 8-13

Psalm: 120

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3: 14-4:2

Gospel: Luke 18: 1-8

REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM

BE UNTIRING IN PRAYER

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Welcome to the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. My reflection today, focuses on prayer. Considering very many unprecedented circumstances of our time, there is a need for us to be untiring in prayer. Prayer is the key to every success in life. Jesus recognized this fact and put it into practice. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. This shows that prayer is the master key.

Jesus revealed to us the importance of prayer by teaching us the way to pray and the dispositions to prayer. In prayer, we enter into a deep relationship with God our creator. This relationship is very important because we are God’s creatures. We cannot live independent of our creator. Prayer connects us to God. Prayer establishes our relationship with God. In God’s family, we cannot do anything effectively without Him. Jesus knocks on the door of families, to share with them the Eucharistic supper. (Revelation 3:20)

There are different principles of prayer. For the purpose of this reflection, permit me to highlight four of them. First, we must pray with faith. Second, we must pray with the right intention. Third, we must pray with perseverance. Fourth, we must pray with humility.

These four principles of prayer are strongly highlighted in the scriptures. In the Book of Exodus, Moses had to pray perseveringly and with faith to ensure the victory of Israel over the Amalekites. (Exodus 17:8-13). In the Gospel of Luke, we hear Jesus giving us the parable of the woman who continually calls on the judge to hear and answer her petition. Jesus told his disciples this parable to show the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. (Luke18:1-18)

We can appreciate from the above readings that being persistent, constant, and untiring in prayer is important. God is untiring in trying to reach us, untiring in trying to come into our hearts. Time and again, Jesus tells us that we should pray, pray a lot, pray often, and be untiring in turning to God.

The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican according to Luke, shows the forgiving love, mercy and compassion of God. It reveals our need for God and humility. We find in the parable that God’s heart is tender, large, open to accommodate even sinners who call on him for mercy and redemption. We find in the parable, a God who offers his gift of compassion on those who acknowledge their vulnerability, sinfulness and emptiness. (Luke 18:9-14)

In humility, we should acknowledge our sins and ask for God’s mercy and compassion. He acknowledged his unworthiness and cried out in sorrow: “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus said the Publican went home at right with God. It means he was justified and saved. The Pharisee had no need for God and his mercy, he went home empty and without salvation. The truth is that we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy and compassion. We should kneel humbly before God and ask for his mercy and forgiveness.

The real truth is that we are not God. God is perfect. As human beings, we are not perfect. We are striving to be perfect. What we need to do is to recognize our unworthiness and emptiness before the perfect God and be ready to be filled by God who is full of mercy and compassion.

We appreciate from the above readings that being humble, persistent, constant, and untiring in prayer is important. God is untiring in trying to reach us, untiring in trying to come into our hearts. Time and again, the scripture tells us that we should pray always and be untiring in turning to God.

We are encouraged to pray always and never to lose heart. God listens to our prayers especially when we pray with faith, humility and right intensions. We are invited to continue to pray individually and collectively with faith, perseverance and accept what God gives us in his own time.

Like Mary, we are urged to be a person of prayer and untiring in prayer. A person of prayer is one who is untiring in asking for God’s Divine Mercy for himself and for our world. In support of this teaching, St. Vincent de Paul said, “Give me a person of prayer, and such a one will be capable of accomplishing anything.” Pope Francis urges us to “pray as a family, to make our homes the joyful face of the Church.” St. Maximilian Kolbe observed that “the deadliest poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.” Hence, we should not be afraid to pray as we go on our life journey because we know that God is with us. God is near us. He is one with us.

We pray like St Paul that we might grow in our appreciation of the way God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings,”

May our Mother Mary intercede for us now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.