Sunday, October 19, 2025
Today’s Lectionary offers us insight into the themes of faith, perseverance, and the communal nature of our Christian journey. As we delve into these Readings, may we open our hearts to the lessons God desires to impart to us. In our First Reading from Exodus 17:8-13, we find the Israelites, in their first year wandering after their Exodus from Egypt and journeying towards Mount Sinai, engaged in battle against the Amalekites. The Amalekites were an organized group whose culture, lifestyle, and reputation were defined by habitual aggression and military conflict. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains, “a people remembered chiefly as the most hated of all the enemies of Israel.” Their reputation for cruelty, particularly the ruthless attack on the weak, earned them the animosity of the Israelites, a hatred that endured for centuries. The Israelites were unorganized, vulnerable, and exhausted. Their leader, Moses, instructed his assistant and servant, Joshua, to roundup some men to fight. It was a dire situation, with the odds stacked against them. As Joshua led men into battle, Moses ascended a hill holding the staff of God. This is the same staff that Moses had in the signs before Pharaoh, turning it into a serpent and then restoring it to a rod, and he extended his hand with the staff over the Nile, turning the water into blood. When Moses raised his hands, Israel prevailed; when he lowered them, they faltered. Aaron and Hur helped Moses keep his hands raised until sunset, symbolizing communal support when he couldn’t do it alone.
In the Gospel Reading from Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow who continuously approaches an unjust judge for justice. Widows of that time were often left without a male protector or provider, living on the margins of society, and subject to economic hardship and legal neglect. Instead of accepting these constraints, the widow actively and repeatedly demands justice over her adversary, thereby revealing a faith that trusts God more than the flawed human institutions of her day. The judge, despite his initial reluctance, ultimately grants her request because of her persistence.
Together, the Readings sketch our spiritual journey through the struggles of the Israelites and the widow, reflecting our own struggles that could be a serious illness, overwhelming debt, or the loss of a loved one. Alternatively, it might involve a relationship heading in an undesired direction. Do we bring these to God in prayer, only to become disheartened when we don’t recognize the anticipated outcomes promptly? The image of Aaron and Hur assisting Moses mirrors the Church’s own reliance on the communion of saints and the solidarity of the faithful. The battle is won not merely by our individual efforts but by the cooperation of the whole body of believers bearing a share of the burden. The widow’s relentless petition models the kind of prayer that does not lose heart, even when the answer seems delayed. The Psalmist in today’s Lectionary reminds us, “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; or your guardian to sleep.” — Psalm 121:2-3. Can we repeat this prayer and believe it? Petition the Lord, for He is pure goodness. Rest, find peace, and draw your strength from Him.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.