From the Pastor's Desk | October 19, 2025

Fall Fundraiser

As mentioned in the Mass announcements the last couple of weeks, we are in the midst of our annual fall fundraiser.  I beg your generosity to help us keep Catholic education available, accessible, and affordable both in our school and religious education program.  Invitations to the celebratory party have been mailed and are in the pews this week.  You can also give online via our website.  November 8 we will all celebrate together yet another successful annual parish appeal.  As Fr. Solanus Casey reminds us and to follow-up last week’s homily about gratitude - thank you!  We cannot do what we do without you and your support! 

Parish Breakfast

Please join us next weekend after the 8 am and 10 am Masses for breakfast in the parish hall.  Thank you to the Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women!  They are two amazing groups and I encourage you to get involved with them.  They do so much for the parish and remain grateful for their presence, their work, their dedication, and their faith. 

Gospel Reflection

This weekend’s readings focus our attention on the importance of prayer, particularly the call to pray always and persistently. But if we’re not careful, we may draw the wrong conclusions from these readings. Specifically, we might wrongly infer:

1. That we should pray only when we need something; or
2. That God will always answer our prayers exactly as we desire.

In our first reading, we hear of Israel’s battle with Amalek. Moses instructs Joshua to choose men for battle while he ascends a hilltop. As long as Moses keeps his arms raised, Israel prevails. When he grows weary and lowers them, Amalek gains the upper hand. Eventually, Aaron and Hur support his arms, allowing Israel to triumph.

Moses’ posture - with arms outstretched - is profoundly symbolic. It’s the same posture Christ took on the Cross, where He interceded for all humanity with the most perfect prayer ever offered - the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. It’s also the same posture used by priests during the liturgy, known as the orans position (Latin for “the one who is praying” or “pleading”). In each case, we see an image of intercession and prayer offered not just for oneself, but on behalf of others.

But here’s where the misunderstanding can creep in: We might assume that if we simply pray hard enough, or long enough, we will automatically receive what we ask for. This isn’t what Jesus is teaching.

In our Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow. The widow relentlessly pleads for justice, and the judge finally relents - not out of virtue, but to be rid of her persistence. She’s bothering him! Jesus uses this comparison not to liken God to the unjust judge, but to show how persistence has power. Then Jesus says something interesting:

“I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”

It’s easy to misinterpret this, assuming that persistence guarantees a speedy answer to prayer in the way we expect. But this isn’t quite what Jesus is saying.

First, Jesus is emphasizing the necessity of regular, ongoing prayer. Why? Because prayer is about relationship. No relationship can exist without communication. Deep relationships are built through mutual self-disclosure which is the heart of prayer: opening ourselves to God and allowing Him to reveal Himself to us.

I often use the acronym A.R.R.R. to explain this dynamic:

• Acknowledge – Recognize what’s truly going on in your heart - your thoughts, feelings, and desires. This requires silence and attentiveness.
• Relate – Bring those thoughts and feelings to God. Speak to Him honestly and directly as if speaking to a close friend or family member.  
• Receive – Listen for God’s response. Maybe it’s a word, a Scripture verse, a sense of peace or challenge. Be open.
• Respond – Act on what you’ve received. Maybe it’s a word of gratitude. Maybe it’s a call to change or a leap of faith.

This rhythm of prayer draws us into deeper intimacy with God.

Back to that word “speedily.” In Greek, it’s en tachei, which can mean “quickly,” “soon,” or “without delay.” But more often, it refers to suddenness rather than immediacy. Think of a dam that suddenly bursts: the flood happens in an instant, but the pressure has been building for years. Likewise, our prayers may seem unanswered for a long time, but when God acts, it is often swift and decisive.

Also, keep in mind: God exists outside of time. As Scripture reminds us:

“With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8)

God’s justice unfolds in His perfect timing not ours.

Jesus ends the Gospel with a striking question:

“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This could be understood in two ways:

1. When Christ returns, will He find us faithful in prayer - persistent, consistent, even when answers seem delayed?
2. Will He find us trusting in Him, rather than in the outcomes we hoped for?

Prayer is not about getting what we want. Rather, prayer is about remaining in relationship with the One who loves us most. Our persistence in prayer is itself an act of faith and a sign that we trust in God’s goodness, even when we don’t see immediate results.

One of my favorite definitions of prayer comes from St. Theophan the Recluse (a saint recognized in the Eastern Orthodox Churches):

“To pray is to stand before God with the mind in the heart, and to do so until the end of one’s life.”

So let us remain steadfast in prayer, standing before the Lord with hearts open, until the day we meet Him face to face.

Know of my prayers for you all! 

Fr. Ryan