29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C (October 19, 2025)

Luke’s community, so fresh off the zeal of its initiation into the faith, is already facing opposition and even persecution for their beliefs. The evangelist offers today’s Gospel parable in which Jesus teaches his disciples to pray unceasingly, and with deep faith.

The parable is unusual in that the central metaphor is not an example from nature or agriculture, nor is it a heartwarming story of conversion. Rather, the parable is centered on a very human conflict between a widow and a corrupt judge. The widow, stripped of her power and influence in a patriarchal society because of her husband’s death, implores the judge to render judgment in her case against an unknown adversary. The judge couldn’t care less about this widow, but she is persistent.

The judge was unwilling but he eventually thought, “While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her, lest she finally come and strike me.” 

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says! Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? . . . But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Three things stand out here:

1. The widow’s persistence, symbolizing her commitment to prayer
2. The judge’s reluctant turning of a favorable verdict, which pales in comparison to God’s graciousness
3. Jesus’ final question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

In the Second Reading from Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, the apostle gives this instruction: “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believe.”

In our Christian journey through life, we must ask ourselves: Are we praying? And not only that. Are we faithful? Prayer goes hand in hand with faith. Prayer without faith is nothing but empty words. It is our faith in Jesus Christ that anchors our lives and empowers our prayer. Believe! And pray unceasingly!