Homily for the week of October 17, 2010

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2010

Exodus 17:8-13

Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

2 Timothy 3:14--4:2

Luke 18:1-8

A good many years ago Joseph Heller wrote a book that became a popular movie which enriched our language with a new expression: CATCH 22. A "Catch 22" situation is a no-win situation. A hopeless situation. In the movie an Air Force pilot wishes to be excused from combat flight duty. In order to be excused from such duty, he must submit an official medical diagnosis from his squadron's flight surgeon, demonstrating that he is unfit because he is insane. Pilots were of the opinion at the time that flying a combat mission is insanity. But sanity is a prerequisite to discovering one is insane. In other words, one has to be sane to recognize one's own insanity.

The widow in the gospel today is also in a Catch 22 situation. She is the helpless victim of an unjust system. A wealthy man is withholding a sum of money to which she is entitled. To get her money she must pay the judge the fee or a bribe which was necessary for her to get a court hearing. Yet until she gets the money she is too poor to pay the fee.

The poor widow did not give up. Faithful to the age-old saying that THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE MOST GREASE she comes to court every day and makes a scene. She kept coming for weeks or even months. The judge does not care for the woman or her complaint, but she will not go away.

She finally finds a loophole in the corrupt judge's indifference. For the sake of PEACE he finally gives in, hears the case, and in a few moments grants her what she has so long sought for in vain. But Jesus also says there is a difference between the corrupt judge and God. Although the widow's situation was hopeless she did not give up. But with God, Jesus is saying, OUR situation is not hopeless. God is not the corrupt judge. He does not have to be bought off before he will answer prayer. God is always more ready to HEAR than we are to pray.

This past week much of the world saw the rescue of the 33 miners confined for 66 days 2000 feet underground in a mine. But also what I hope that much of the world saw is that the first thing many of the miners did as they were taken out of the capsule was to kneel down on the ground, make the sign of the cross, bow their heads and offer a prayer. They were talking to God.

Talking to God is the best definition of prayer. But prayer is also listening to God. Few of us can tolerate friends who do nothing but talk at us. Words are good. But in addition to words prayer involves our mind and heart. Just like a good relationship, prayer must include insight and affection.

There are times when our experience of prayer seems to suggest that God is simply not listening. Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and ricochet back to us. Is God deaf, we ask. Yet how does prayer work? Why does war prevail everywhere when every day we pray for peace? Why does God permit rich nations to ignore the hunger of millions in poorer nations? Why do young persons with great promises die young? The more we see things like this the more difficult it may be to pray with confidence. Prayer is not magic. And God is not a magician. But God is always with us even when we don't think so.

God answers all of our prayers in one of three ways: Yes, No or Wait. A No or a Yes is very clear. We struggle with the Wait. We live in a right now world. We trade in a computer if a newer model is faster. We want to eat at fast food places. We want overnight delivery. We also want an instant answer to our prayers. When it comes to prayer, we are the ones who must change.

What is Jesus saying about prayer? Jesus is saying, if a person so utterly unlikeable as this judge will eventually do the right thing, and hear the widow's plea, how much more likely is it that a good God, a Loving Father, will listen even more speedily, and act with even more sure justice and compassion toward the prayers of His chosen and beloved children?

Prayer does not change God. Prayer changes us. It opens us up to the action of God in our lives. Like Moses we may get tired of making the same requests day after day. But we must not get discouraged. At every Mass and gathering we ask others to pray with us.

I have mentioned much about praying to God. But as Catholics who believe in Jesus, we must also pray to Jesus. Jesus says it was necessary to pray always. Jesus also gave us a way of living. So when we pray to Jesus we are telling him that we are willing to live as he taught us to live. All you really need has been listed by Jesus in his own prayer which we call THE LORD'S PRAYER or THE OUR FATHER. This prayer comes directly from Jesus. Chances are each of you have prayed this prayer hundreds, even thousands of time. But so often we can fall into a mechanical repetition of this prayer. But we must not do this. The Lord's Prayer asks God for all that we really need.

Jesus boldly asks God that our lives be feed, be healed of sin, and we be made a winner over the struggle between good and evil. Our prayer should also be persistent. Jesus stress again and again in the Gospels that nothing is too small or too worldly to be an object of our prayer requests. And he tells us to call out night and day until God answers the prayer.

It is up to each of us to find a method and place and even a position for praying that works best for us. These too can often change. Praying takes creativity as well as faith. Rarely will we pray like Moses, Aaron and Hur did today,with hands upraised on a hilltop. But, hopefully, we will often pray by reading and reflecting on sacred writings, including the Bible, as Timothy advised us to do in our second reading. At times we must pray with others and for others. We need people to support us. Children need to see their parents praying, and they need to pray with their parents every day. Family prayer must extend beyond meals and bedtime. Children experience security as they see their parents praying for God's help. And, if prayer hasn't been a family tradition, it can seem very "unnatural" to introduce it as something we might do together as family. Prayer must combine words and real actions on behalf of those in need.