Persevering Together in Faith

Some days feel like standing in a long line where justice seems far away, energy is drained, and prayer feels like lifting heavy arms that keep slipping back down. Today’s readings gather those experiences into a single thread: God forms a people who persist—together—in prayer, in the Word, and in the pursuit of justice. Perseverance is not stoic stubbornness; it is faith that leans on God and leans on one another.

Hands Raised, Hearts Upheld (Exodus 17:8–13)

On the hilltop, Moses’ raised hands become a sign of Israel’s dependence on God (Ex 17:11). But even holy work exhausts human bodies. Moses’ arms tremble; Aaron and Hur steady them, and Israel prevails “till sunset” (Ex 17:12–13). The scene is strikingly ordinary and profoundly theological: grace does not cancel human limits; it meets them and requires communion.

In many lives today—caring for children or aging parents, showing up at twelve-step meetings, advocating for fair housing, persevering in a broken relationship—fatigue is real. The lesson is not “try harder,” but “do not persevere alone.” Identify the “rock” you can sit on and the “friends” who can hold up your arms. And just as crucial: become Aaron or Hur for someone else.

St. Ignatius of Antioch envisioned the Church as a harmonized people, in step with Christ and in unity with one another. That harmony is not sentimental; it is survival. Unity is how intercession becomes durable, how mission endures past sunset.

The Widow’s Holy Stubbornness (Luke 18:1–8)

Jesus tells a parable “about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary” (Lk 18:1). A widow—a person with little social leverage—keeps returning to a judge who “neither feared God nor respected any human being” (Lk 18:2–3). Her persistence looks like nagging to the unjust, but to God it is faith. Jesus contrasts the judge’s reluctant justice with the Father’s eager care: if even a callous official eventually acts, “will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” (Lk 18:7).

“Speedily” (Lk 18:8) does not always mean chronologically immediate; it means God is not indifferent. He is not like the judge. Still, Jesus ends with a searching question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). Persevering prayer keeps faith alive while the calendar stretches.

St. John Chrysostom pressed Christians to unite persistent prayer with works of mercy. Prayer that seeks God’s justice also shapes us to cooperate with it—in our budgets, votes, and calendars. To pray like the widow is to keep showing up in prayer and in action for the vulnerable in our city, office, parish, and home.

Guarded by the Keeper of Israel (Psalm 121)

“I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps 121:1–2). Pilgrims sang this psalm on the road to Jerusalem, where heat, thieves, and uncertainty lurked. The psalm answers fear with a name: the Guardian of Israel “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Ps 121:4). The Lord’s vigilance does not promise a life without hardship; it promises a presence stronger than hardship—“the Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever” (Ps 121:8).

For anxious minds, a brief breath-prayer can anchor the day: “My help is from the Lord” (Ps 121:2). Whispered in traffic, hospital corridors, and courtrooms, it becomes a steadying shade “by day” and “by night” (Ps 121:5–6).

Scripture That Trains and Corrects (2 Timothy 3:14–4:2)

Paul urges Timothy to “remain faithful to what you have learned” because “all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tm 3:14,16). The image is not of a book on a shelf but of a gym for the soul: Scripture trains, stretches, and strengthens so that we may be “equipped for every good work” (2 Tm 3:17).

In a digital world that rewards hot takes and punishes nuance, letting the Word correct us is countercultural. It means allowing the Gospel to challenge our resentments, our convenience, and our curated certainties. Chrysostom insisted that Scripture belongs in every Christian home and heart—not only to inform but to reform. Ten unhurried minutes a day with the readings can begin to rewire reflexes: listen, receive, repent, and respond.

Paul’s next charge is urgent and patient at once: “Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient… encourage through all patience and teaching” (2 Tm 4:2). Persistence in truth requires patience with people—including ourselves.

Practicing Perseverance: A Simple Rule for the Week

• Pray like Moses: Choose one person or cause and “hold your hands up” for them daily, even briefly. Ask two friends to be your Aaron and Hur; be the same for them (Ex 17:12).
• Pray like the widow: Name one injustice (personal or societal). Bring it to God every day and take one concrete step toward remedy—an apology, an email, a donation, a vote, a visit (Lk 18:3–7).
• Pray with the pilgrim: Repeat through the day, “My help is from the Lord” (Ps 121:2). Let anxiety cue the prayer.
• Train in the Word: Sit with the daily Gospel for 10 minutes. Ask: What teaches, refutes, corrects, or trains me today? What good work am I being equipped to do? (2 Tm 3:16–17).

Hands raised. A widow at the door. A pilgrim on the road. A disciple with a worn Bible. These are not separate stories but one path. God’s people persist—in prayer that is communal, in hope that is watchful, in Scripture that is lived, and in justice that keeps knocking—until the sun sets and the true Judge, who loves the poor and guards our going and coming, finds faith alive on earth (Lk 18:8; Ps 121:8).