🙏 SUNDAY INSIGHTS - 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 🙏

First Reading - Exodus 17:8-13 

Second Reading - 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2

Gospel - Luke 18:1-8

Have you ever faced a situation where you felt like giving up — when your prayers seemed unanswered, your efforts unrecognized, and your hope almost gone? It’s in such moments that perseverance becomes not just a virtue, but a lifeline. Today’s readings remind us that faith perseveres when life gets difficult, because God is always at work, even when we can’t see it.

In the first reading, we see Moses standing on the hill while Israel battles the Amalekites. As long as Moses keeps his hands raised in prayer, the Israelites prevail. But when he grows weary, the enemy gains ground. Seeing this, Aaron and Hur step in to hold up his arms until sunset — and the people win the battle. What a powerful image of perseverance in prayer and the strength that comes from community! It shows us that when we grow tired, the faith and support of others can keep us standing before God.

In the second reading, St. Paul urges Timothy to remain steadfast in the Word of God, to hold firm to the truth he has learned. “Proclaim the message,” Paul says, “whether the time is favorable or unfavorable.” Paul knows that living the Gospel is not always easy; there will be resistance and weariness. But he also knows that Scripture strengthens us for every good work and keeps our hearts faithful through every trial.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow who refuses to stop knocking at the judge’s door until she receives justice. Her persistence is not about annoying God but trusting that He listens, even when the answer is delayed. Jesus ends with a challenging question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” In other words, will He find people who still pray, still trust, and still believe when everything seems against them?

Dear friends, God doesn’t always answer immediately, not because He doesn’t care, but because He wants to deepen our trust and form our hearts in patience. Perseverance in prayer transforms us; it teaches us dependence on God and opens us to His timing and wisdom.

In our daily lives, this might mean continuing to pray for a loved one who has drifted away, holding on to hope when a situation seems impossible, or staying faithful in small, hidden acts of love. Like Moses, we sometimes need others to hold us up. Like the widow, we must keep knocking, believing that God hears us.

Faith is not proven when everything goes well — it is proven when we choose to keep trusting in the silence. God sees, God listens, and God acts — but in His time. So don’t lose heart. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep your hands lifted, even when they grow weary, for in God’s perfect time, victory will come.