With Opened Bible
Persevering Prayer
“As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.” (Exodus 17, 11)
This Sunday's first reading and Gospel reading invite us to meditate on the importance of persevering prayer. Perseverance, a divine grace that goes hand in hand with patience and courage, is not of human origin but a gift from the divine. It is this divine nature of perseverance that we must embrace and draw strength from in our spiritual journey.
In the fight against one of their worst enemies, Amalek, Israel had to resort not only to military force but also to spiritual. Moses and Joshua understood this and implemented a strategy that reflected their faith.
Moses' hands, turned toward the sky, were a sign that it was God who was fighting; when they were downward, it was the enemy who prevailed. This passage in the desert story reveals once again that some wars are won on the knees with hands raised to the Lord. Was it not King David himself who sang: "A king is not saved by a great army, nor a warrior delivered by great strength. Useless is the horse for safety; despite its great strength, it cannot be saved." (Psalm 33:16-17) or again: "Some rely on chariots, others on horses, but we on the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we stand strong and arm. LORD, grant victory to the king; answer when we call upon you" (Psalm 20:8-9). And the book of Proverbs adds: "The horse is equipped for the day of battle, but victory is the LORD's." (Proverbs 21:31)
Jesus seemed to agree when he shared with the crowd the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. The judge's bad faith prevented him from rendering jusce to this woman who had turned to him. He would have made his eyes and ears not to grant her request. But the widow's unceasing prayer allowed her to succeed. That's what we call perseverance in prayer today. Indeed, Saint Paul encourages the baptized to pray at all
times, persevering: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Like Moses and the widow, let us raise our hands and eyes to the Lord. It is through our unwavering faith and perseverance in prayer that we can be victorious over sin and death, a hope that reassures us in our spiritual journey.
