(Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8)

One of the great comforts from living as a Catholic is that I know I am not alone. I know there have been times in my life when I have been dependent on the prayers from my brothers and sisters in Christ; because I know I cannot do everything under my own strength. We see in today’s 1st reading an illustration of this, when Moses knew he had to keep the staff of God elevated and he needed the support of Aaron and Hur. By working together, in communion and faith, they received God’s help to defeat their enemy.

The psalm speaks about faith too as we repeat the words ‘Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.’ The psalm speaks of God protecting us, keeping us upright and on the right track, protecting us from evil.

In St Paul’s letter to Timothy, he reminds us to pass on the faith using scripture, stating that all of holy scripture is inspired by God.  We are to use scripture to teach and to refute error.  We are to use scripture to guide our lives and to teach us to become holy. Through scripture St Paul tells us we can become fully equipped and ready for good work.

The Gospel this week has direct teaching from Jesus.  He teaches on the need to be persistent when we pray, to not give up just because we think our prayers have not been answered. He gives the example of a judge, who doesn’t seem to have the necessary qualities to be a judge as he has ‘neither fear of God nor respect for man’. This judge was plagued by a poor widow seeking justice, he refused her justice until he realised that it would be the best thing to do to suit himself.

To gain a little bit of context to this Gospel passage, I read a passage from Dr Arthur Zannoni, who is a teacher and theologian specialising in Christian-Jewish relations, he wrote, “in ancient Israel, the duty of a judge was to maintain harmonious relations and to arbitrate disputes between Israelites. Widows were deprived of the support of a husband, yet they couldn’t inherit their husband’s estate, which passed to the deceased man’s sons or brothers. Disputes involving widows and orphans were common. Judges were charged with the responsibility of hearing complaints fairly and impartially, a duty that was all the more important because they judged cases without the benefit of a jury. The judge’s responsibility within the covenant community, was to declare God’s judgement and establish ‘shalom’, peace, among God’s people.”[1]

The judge in the parable, eventually realised that if he heard the widow’s pleas and granted her wish he could have an easier life. Jesus is not teaching us how to have an easier mind or a clear conscience here. Jesus is telling us that if an unrighteous judge can give in to persistence, how much more likely it is, that our loving God who is the just judge, will grant the requests of those who persist in their appeal to Him.

Last Sunday after one of the Masses, I met a lady from California who was passing through Basingstoke [visiting her niece, who is a Parishioner here] on her way to a pilgrimage in Lanciano in Italy. This lady told me about the Eucharistic miracle which has been evident for more than 1200 years there. It dates back 750 AD when a priest doubted the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Before his eyes, the Sacred Host visibly changed into a circle of Flesh and the consecrated wine was transformed into bright red Blood. Over the centuries these have been subjected to analysis which proves the flesh is real human flesh and the blood is real human blood. I asked the lady to pray for me whilst there, she agreed as long as I shared word of this miracle and asked me to pray for her whilst on her pilgrimage. This miracle is one of the many documented by St Carlo Acutis[2] in his website, which is still accessible today. This newly canonised Saint started his website at the age of 10 to document approved Eucharistic miracles. He died from Leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Last month, his parents were present alongside thousands of others when the Church declared him to be a saint.

The Catechism quotes other saints’ attitude to prayer, for example St Therese of Lisieux wrote, “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.” And St John Damascene wrote, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or requesting of good things from God.” And St Augustine said, “man is a beggar before God.”

In the Intercessions or the Prayers of the Faithful, we make petitions to God for our world, our Church and our loved ones. We are like the poor widow. We may be seeking justice, we may be seeking healing, we may be pleading on behalf of someone else, whatever our prayer, we are being encouraged to persist to stay faithful, trust in God, read the scriptures, pray, pray and pray again.

Don’t give up. God is with us. God can do anything. God answered the prayers of Moses in the Old Testament, God answered the prayers of the Apostles in the New Testament and God continues to answer prayers today.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church[3]

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2558-2565; Prayer in the Christian Life

CCC 2574-2577: Moses and prayer of intercession
CCC 2629-2633: prayer of petition
CCC 2653-2654: the Word of God, a source of prayer
CCC 2816-2821: “Thy kingdom come”
CCC 875: urgency of the preaching task

Please remember in your prayers

  • All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
  • Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
  • All people affected by war and that international treaties for the protection of non-combatants and civilians are respected and adhered to.
  • All those attending the RCIA programmes
  • Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
  • The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
  • Our politicians and leaders that they look out for the poor, the lost and the lonely when they are making deals.
  • Success of the Pastoral Area Course “Mary – A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother” which starts on Monday.

Deacon Tony

18th October 2025.

[1] Arthur E Zannoni, Tell Me Your Story, The Parables of Jesus,[Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, IL, 2002]108.

[2] Miracoli Eucaristici lanciano

[3] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments