Turned Toward Heaven

A Reflection on the Gospel for October 16th, 2022:
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Luke
18.1-8
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Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for any human being. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’

“For a while the judge refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for any human being, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, God will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Praying every single day can be hard. When I was a part of a women’s ministry team in my undergrad, we often referred to the commitment of daily prayer as being on the “struggle bus.” The Gospel for this Sunday helped me pause and reflect more deeply on the purpose and importance of prayer in our daily life. It truly shed light on the concept of persistent prayer. So, I want to touch on those two points: purpose and importance of prayer. 

I understand prayer’s purpose as being to open us consciously to God. In a passage from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, she captures how prayer can allow us to connect our hearts to the divine: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

Prayer allows us into intimacy with God in a way that He desperately desires. He is not like the reluctant judge in the Gospel for this coming Sunday. He is very much more capable of responding to our petition and desires through nothing more than intimacy with us in prayer. 

The importance of prayer is perhaps more straightforward after considering the previous explanation. I truly believe that nothing great in this world is accomplished without prayer. If we look to our great saints or even within our own parishes, they are fuelled by the power of prayer. Prayer motivates our mission, clarifies our vision, and helps give us the strength to carry on.

I have had so many seasons of farness from God in prayer, but have found refreshment this Autumn. In many ways, Autumn brings a freshness that enlivens the spirit and inspires me to sink into my roots. I’m looking forward to cozy fires, hot chocolate, crunchy leaves, and endless time sitting with my God in prayer. I’m praying that this fall may breathe new life into your own prayer lives and may reinspire a commitment to persistent prayer. 




Theresa James

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