Homily Recipe of 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Exodus 17:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8

The Power of Persevering Prayer

 by Rev Fr Teclus Ugwueze

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s readings lead us into one of the deepest truths of the spiritual life, that faith grows through perseverance, and perseverance finds its power in prayer.

 

1. Moses: The Image of Persistent Intercession

In the first reading, from the Book of Exodus, we meet Moses on the hilltop, his hands lifted in prayer as Joshua leads Israel in battle against Amalek. It is a striking image, Moses, the leader, standing between heaven and earth, holding the staff of God high. When his hands remain raised, Israel prevails; when they drop, the enemy advances. So Aaron and Hur stand beside him, holding up his weary arms. What a beautiful picture of prayer and community! This is not only about military victory; it is about the mysterious connection between human perseverance and divine power. God could have defeated Amalek without Moses’ hands, but He chose to act through them, to remind us that grace flows through faith, and faith expresses itself in persistent prayer.

 

Every time we lift our hearts to God, in our struggles, our doubts, our sickness, our service, we too become like Moses, standing on that mountain of faith. And when we grow tired, God sends us our “Aarons and Hurs”, family, friends, the Church, the saints, to lift us up again.

 

2. Paul: The Steadfast Preacher of the Word

In the second reading, Saint Paul writes to his young disciple Timothy: “Remain faithful to what you have learned... Proclaim the word, be persistent whether convenient or inconvenient.” Paul is in chains. The world around him is growing hostile to truth. Yet he tells Timothy to keep the fire of faith burning, to stay rooted in Scripture, and to proclaim the Gospel without fear or fatigue.

 

We live in a similar time. Truth is often unpopular; faith is mocked; integrity is costly. But Paul reminds us that God’s word does not fade, and those who stand firm in it will never stand alone. To persevere in prayer, then, is also to persevere in truth, to speak God’s word even when the world grows deaf.

 

3. The Widow: The Power of Holy Persistence

And then comes Jesus, in today’s Gospel, telling us about the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8).

Here, we meet a woman who has nothing, no influence, no wealth, no power. But she has one thing the judge cannot resist: persistence. Day after day she returns, knocking, pleading, refusing to be silenced.

Finally, the judge gives in, not out of compassion, but exhaustion. And Jesus says, “If even an unjust judge yields to persistence, how much more will your Father in heaven answer His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night?”

 

This parable is not about nagging God. It is about trusting Him enough not to give up, even when heaven seems silent. It is about the faith that keeps praying when prayers seem unanswered; the hope that keeps believing when the night feels long; the love that refuses to let go of God even when the heart is tired.

 

4. When Faith Meets Perseverance

At the end of the Gospel, Jesus asks a haunting question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

 

He is not asking about religion, attendance, or ritual, but about the faith that endures. Faith that keeps the lamp burning. Faith that refuses despair. Faith that clings to God when everything else breaks loose. This is the kind of faith that Moses had on the hill, that Paul kept in prison, and that the widow carried in her heart. It is the faith that prays through the silence and trusts that God’s delay is never God’s denial.

 

5. Our Call Today

My dear friends, the battle of Amalek continues, not on a physical field, but in our homes, our consciences, our society. And God still looks for men and women who will stand in prayer, who will lift up weary hands for their families, their nation, their Church.

 

The question is not whether God hears, but whether we will persevere. Because every time we pray, sincerely, persistently, even painfully, we strengthen the soul, we weaken evil’s hold, and we open heaven’s door a little wider.

 

So when your spirit feels tired, remember Moses.

When the truth costs you comfort, remember Paul.

And when God seems silent, remember the widow.

 

For in the end, prayer is not about convincing God, it is about converting us, until our hearts beat with His.

 

Conclusion

Let us then persevere, in prayer, in truth, in love.

Let us hold up one another’s arms when they grow weary.

Let us believe, even when we cannot see.

And when the Son of Man comes, may He find in us a faith that has not grown cold, a faith that has prayed its way through the storm and still says, “My help comes from the Lord.” Amen.