3 John 5-8 / Luke 18:1-8
On November 16, 1989, a horrifying injustice occurred in El Salvador against two powerless people and their six significantly more powerful companions. Yet persistence has brought little justice.
Despite the persistent pleas for justice around the world, including tremendous efforts from the Society of Jesus, justice has not been served in the case of the UCA martyrs. Low-level military personnel who carried out the orders of superior officers were imprisoned briefly, but those who ordered the murders have not been punished.
An unjust judge does not fear God or respect people when a powerless widow with no legal rights asks for legal protection. This scenario does not inspire confidence that the widow will receive justice. Yet her persistence prevails. The unjust judge recognizes that his life will be better if the widow receives what she is asking for. In this case, enlightened self-interest leads to justice.
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Travelling overseas, either for work or study or leisure, can be a chore for some people, especially when it comes to packing their luggage. If they could, they would want to bring along everything that is at home, so that they can feel secure and comfortable in a foreign land, even if it is only for a week.
And it can be anything from medicine to books to electronic gadgets, from hair-dryers to mini kettles, all of which might be available in the land of destination. For the missionaries of the Church, as they go forth to a foreign land to spread the Good News, it is usually in a land that does not have the comforts and the securities of their own homeland.
The 1st reading assures such missionaries of God's providence as it states that it is the duty of the Church to welcome such missionaries in charity and even to contribute a share to their work. But even if there is a dire lack of resources and support, then we have to heed what Jesus said about the need to pray continually and not to lose heart.
The gospel parable tells us that the perseverance and the persistence of the lowly widow eventually made the arrogant and proud judge give in to her request. Yes, we have to persevere and persist in our prayer when we are in a desperate need. Yet, we also must remember that we are paying God a great compliment when we ask great things that are to be used for His glory. That must be the faith that we should have as we persevere and persist in our prayer.
Keeping at it
In a crisis, most of us will go the extra mile (Mt 5:41), sometimes, but today’s Gospel asks for fidelity over the long haul, not the single heroic act but the persistence to stay with the daily routine of duty, whatever that may be, given our age, our job and our local, familial or pastoral obligations to others. What we are expected to do is ordinary, but it takes God’s extraordinary grace to keep at it.
The gospel addresses this paradox of seemingly getting nowhere and yet accomplishing very much, exemplified in the widow who kept coming to the judge, demanding her rights. Finally she wore him out, and so the judge settled matters in her favour. Monica, the mother of St Augustine, is patroness of persistent people. We can accomplish very much by a faithful, daily routine.
This final verse in the gospel is probably a later addition to the original parable about the widow. No other parable in the gospels ends with such a a question-mark as “When he comes, will he find faith on the earth?”. The editor added this “floating” remark which questions the quality of our faith. Originally it referred to danger of apostasy during the persecutions but it can also question us, here and now. What are we (or what am I) doing to promote faith, love and justice, in imitation of Christ? To live our faith today we need the persistence of the widow who simply would not give up. And are our church leaders fostering faith as well as they could?
Not giving up
A courageous widow went to court before a judge who respected neither God nor man, but kept up her plea until she got justice at last. She embodies the kind of faith the Lord wants to see in us. At the end he asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’
When he comes as judge, will be find a faith that refuses to give up, even when many traditional beliefs have fallen away. In these difficult times for our church, there is a strong temptation to discouragement. But to be a true believer is to be persistent. The supreme example of persistence in face of contradiction is Jesus himself, who remained faithful to the end. The widow is a kind of Jesus figure showing us how to persevere.
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Lord our God, we know that you are our loving Father, that you wait for us and that you are attentive to us every moment of our lives. Let then our prayer come to you as a breath of hope and a cry of trust coming from the poverty of our hearts. If you have to turn us down when we ask for harmful or useless things, give us what we really need and keep our trust alive that you are good and loving for you love us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Saint Margaret of Scotland
Feast day November 16
For Saint Margaret—a wife, a mother, and a queen—giving money was never enough. She was with those who were poor, making sure they had food and clothes. Margaret was born about 1045. She was raised in the Hungarian court, for she was from the line of nobility. When she was 12, she was sent to the English court of Edward the Confessor and further educated. When the Normans conquered England, Margaret, her mother, her brother, and her sister tried to return to Hungary. Their ship was blown off course and landed in Scotland. They were welcomed by King Malcolm III, who fell in love with the beautiful and gentle Margaret. They were married in 1070.
Scotland was a rough country, and although Malcolm was a good man, he was more of a soldier than a scholar or courtly gentleman. But Margaret helped him become a virtuous, gracious leader. They had eight children; all of them grew to love those who were poor and to care for them as their parents had. The youngest, David, was thought of as a saint by the people.
Margaret was prayerful. She gathered women together to study the Scriptures and to embroider vestments and altar cloths. She was always surrounded by beggars, and she gave them money and clothes. She helped ransom the English who had been captured, and she set up homes and hospitals for those in need. She and her husband would go to church during Lent and Advent. On the way home, they would wash the feet of poor people in need and give them money. At home, Margaret fed nine orphans who were brought to her daily. She brought a love of the arts and education to the people, and they loved her in return. Her children are believed to be primarily responsible for two centuries of progress and peace in Scotland.
Margaret died four days after her husband’s death in 1093. In 1250, she was canonized and later declared patroness of Scotland.
