“Jesus told his disciples a parable 

about the necessity for them to pray always 

without becoming weary.” 

What follows the above introduction to today’s Gospel is the story of the persistent widow who refuses to stop knocking on the judge’s door until justice is done. At first, it might seem that Jesus is telling us to pester God until we get what we want. But the deeper truth is much more beautiful. God is not like the unjust judge who is slow to act or reluctant to hear. The parable highlights our need for perseverance, not God’s need for persuasion. Consistent and persistent prayer keeps our hearts open, our faith active, and our hope alive. It forms in us a steady trust that, even when God seems silent, He is listening and working in ways unseen.

The widow’s persistence is a lesson in love. She does not give up because what she seeks matters deeply to her. In the same way, when we continue to bring our needs, our gratitude, our sorrow, our anger, and even our confusion before God day after day, it reveals the depth of our relationship with Him. Prayer is not a transaction. It is a relationship. As I quoted in the homily from last Sunday, St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.” That’s not a transaction. It’s a transformation.

Sometimes, prayer feels easy when words flow, our hearts lift, and we sense God’s closeness. To be honest, at other times, prayer feels like knocking on a closed door in the dark. Yet, those moments of silence or struggle are often the very soil where mature faith grows. As St. Monica prayed for decades for the conversion of her son, Augustine, her tears and perseverance became the means by which God’s grace broke through. God often delays not because He is absent, but because He is preparing us for something deeper, something beyond our expectations, something that prayer dare not ask. In my own experience, it is usually when I finally surrender my will that God breaks through. 

Persistence in prayer also shapes us, our vision, and our perspective. When we pray consistently, we begin to see the world differently. Ordinary moments become occasions of grace. We start to notice how God answers in quiet ways: through the people who support us, through opportunities that unfold, or even through the peace that comes when a burden is shared. We start to see the world filled with God’s presence, with grace. 

In the end, Jesus poses a haunting question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Persistence in prayer is an exercise in faith. To continue praying, even when results are hidden, is to live by faith. It is to trust that God’s goodness is greater than our understanding. It is to place our hand in the hand of our Father with faith like a child. In the end, prayer is not about changing God’s mind but allowing Him to change ours. It steadies our hearts, strengthens our love, and keeps us aligned with His will. So keep knocking. Keep asking. Keep trusting. The God who hears every cry will not delay in bringing the justice, mercy, and peace our hearts most need. He will give us himself.