Incessant Prayer

The gospel reading today (Luke 18:1-8) is, we are told, all about prayer in the context of the delayed return of Christ, when the reign of God’s justice will be fulfilled. It asks all sorts of questions that leave us with much to think about. Who is this God we pray to? Does God hear about prayers? Does God act? What is prayer anyway? Why pray?
In this reading prayer comes out of our relationship with God. It is a communal act that both sustains, guides and changes us. As we pray we are invited to learn to see as God sees, and to be shaped by God’s passion for justice for all, especially the most vulnerable – the widows of our time. David Ewart[1] suggests prayer helps us develop “attitudes, habits and practices that must be ingrained into our every waking moment: praying; seeking justice; never giving up, never losing heart; and trusting that the enduring fabric of reality is embedded with the presence of God who responds to our needs in every moment with compassionate love and justice for the whole of creation.”
Who needs God’s justice now? What is our prayer?
[1] https://www.holytextures.com/2010/10/luke-18-1-8-year-c-pentecost-october-16-october-22-proper-24-ordinary-time-29-sermon.html

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