Our readings this weekend speak of persistence, especially in prayer. Most of us are probably persistent in prayer, but we get discouraged when a prayer goes unanswered or not the outcome we were expecting. If this is our perspective, these readings can challenge us.

I reflect on times when I feel hopeless in prayer; the answer I want isn’t coming and I want to give up. I ask myself, what is the motive behind my prayers…is it to take a burden away or end something that isn’t welcomed? This self-focused prayer discourages me as time goes on, and I find myself focused on the undesirable. What I should focus on is what this can teach me or how I can be transformed through this experience.

Prayer is hard work, but in this Gospel we are asked to show up! Our persistence means we have not walked away from God and are still there. How can your prayer transform you this week and soften your heart? How may you need to shift the focus of your prayer? We hear at the conclusion of the Gospel, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will He find faith in you?