Oct 20 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ Today we focus our thought on our relationship with people: family, friends, co-workers, fellow students and the like; and also God, our Creator, Maker and Friend – and also a Person, very much so a Person, in fact Three of them in One God! An essential element in these relationships is constancy – a “stick-to-it-iveness” that assures the other person that we will try our very best to always be there for them, to hold up our end of the relationship. We need to “stay in touch” with God, with others in order for us not to “lose touch” – not to “forget” what each relationship really means.

An example on the heavenly plane comes from the first reading today: Moses showed his constancy (in “staying in touch with God,” prayerfully) in supporting the people of Israel by holding up his hands in prayer for them in their battle against a foe. We need to lift up our hands in prayer “constantly” on behalf of others who need our prayers – whether we even know them or not – to help them battle whatever foes they are battling. Prayer is vital to the successful outcome of any project whatsoever. It really makes a huge difference in the lives of those for whom we pray. May our prayer remain sincere, constant and loving – and we will have done a large part in transforming the world.

In the gospel passage we see another application, an earthly application of the same concept of constancy in prayer and support (but it can also have heavenly ramifications): the story of the corrupt judge who makes a just ruling as a result of the persistence (constancy) of the plaintiff.  This tells us that we can even influence by our powerful prayers and conscientious actions those who have the power to change the lives of others for the better, even though they have no direct personal stake in the matter and they themselves may be corrupt. God can use even the most suspicious of characters for his own glory and the benefit of others – at the persistence and insistence of prayer.

May we “stay in touch with God,” the source of all blessing, remaining prayerfully faithful to what we have learned from him and believed regarding justice, fairness, constancy and love; and may the living and effective word of God discern the reflections of our hearts and lead us to right thought, right words and right action on behalf of our brothers and sisters with whom we must “stay in touch” as well, and may we all be then led to eternal life!