Keep the faith

An anonymous poet has written:
I rose one morning early,
And rushed into the fray.
With so much to accomplish,
I had no time to pray.
Troubles tumbled around me,
And heavy was each task.
But where was God to help me?
God said, “You didn’t ask!”
I tried to see the bright side,
But things turned gray and bleak.
I asked God for the reason,
He said, “You didn’t seek.”
In this weekend’s Gospel St. Luke describes Jesus’
parable of the corrupt judge as a lesson in how to “pray
continually and never lose heart.” Persevering is not easy for
us. How does all of this affect us spiritually? Believing that
“nothing lasts” makes us less prepared to make, or keep,
commitments. The high divorce rate, for example,
demonstrates that many couples would rather end marriage
than work out their conflicts. Why keep pushing when our
dreams remain unfulfilled? Why put effort into doing a good
job, making sacrifices, or working to make a better life for
ourselves, if we can’t see immediate results? Why continue to
pray if our prayers don’t seem to be answered?
Our other readings this weekend also speak, in one way or
another, about the value of perseverance. In Exodus, we see
that Israel prevails in battle only as long as Moses keeps his
arms outstretched. Paul encourages Timothy to remain firm in
his faith as he pursues a difficult ministry. The lesson in these
readings is that commitments should be kept, and that
persevering is the key to success in any endeavor!
Joy may be found in the pleasures of the moment, but true
happiness is only found in something of permanence!
Remaining faithful to commitments is invaluable for our selfrespect
and happiness, especially when we stick by them
through difficult times! We find answers to our prayers, for
example, not by demanding immediate responses, but by
persevering in storming the gates of heaven! Keep the faith!
Never discount the importance of persevering! Some things
take time. God sometimes moves mountains one pebble at a
time. Think about it!!