By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily at a Mass where he installed Father Joseph Maalouf as pastor of St. Jerome Church, Fort Lauderdale. The Mass was celebrated on the vigil of the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 15, 2022.
In the Gospel parable we have just heard, Jesus is not comparing God to the unjust judge. He is not suggesting that God is like that cranky old judge and only answers prayers to avoid being bothered further. Jesus is not comparing God to this unjust judge; rather he contrasts God with the judge. If this unjust judge can eventually do justice by this poor widow, how much more will God, who is just, answer those who pray to him?
At any rate, God wants us to pray – and not just once in a while. In fact, St. Paul tells us to “pray always.” And that’s the point of today’s parable. It’s not about the attitude of the unjust judge but about the attitude of the poor widow. Prayer and perseverance in prayer are for our sake – not for God’s sake. Perseverance allows us to marshal enough power and to gather enough inner resources in order to win the victory in the battle against all that would diminish us as men and women.
This is likewise the point of the first reading from the Book of Exodus and second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy in today’s Mass. For it is the effort of Moses that allows his people to gather strength and to marshal their resources against the evil that is assaulting them, and it is the continued and persevering effort, without quitting, that allows us to take hold of the willingness of God and His power in order to put it to use in our lives. The same is true with the widow in her continual pleas for justice. The same ought to be true for you and me.
And so, listen to what the Word of God is telling us today. God is always willing to answer our prayers – but he does so on his terms not on ours. On our part, we must pray always, and pray with confidence and with perseverance. That’s how Moses prayed with outstretched arms held up by his assistants. That’s how Jesus prayed – with his arms outstretched on the cross.
Prayer is like a man in a boat who is trying to dock it at the pier. He tosses out a line to be tied to the pier – and then he pulls on the line. The pier doesn’t move, the boat does. And, if the waters are rough, he may have to pull on that line very hard and it may take him more than one try. That’s what Jesus means about persevering prayer. It’s not about pulling God closer to us, it’s about pulling ourselves closer to God. Our prayers are not supposed to change God – because he is good and all loving. Prayer is about changing us – and for us to really change does require no little perseverance.
Now, as a Catholic people, we are somewhat in the same position of the Israelites as they crossed the desert. We too have left Egypt – that is, our slavery to sin; we have crossed the Red Sea – our baptism; we too are fed with manna – the Holy Eucharist. Just as Moses freed the Israelites, Jesus has freed us. But we find ourselves with a fight on our hands. The Amalekites were, we could say, an ancient expression of what we would call today the “culture of death.”
People sometimes are surprised to find that the Christian life is a battle – that once we are “converted to the Lord” things should go easy for us. That’s the prosperity gospel that some TV evangelists preach. It is a false gospel. The true gospel promises us glory – but it also teaches us that the road to glory passes through the way of the Cross.
Of course, today, I come to your parish to install Father Maalouf as your new pastor of St. Jerome Parish. As your pastor, Father Joseph Maalouf is entrusted with the “care of your souls,” what in Latin is called the “cura animarum.” This care of souls is a three-fold task. First, he must teach you faithfully what the Church believes and teaches. He doesn’t speak in his own name but in the name of Christ. Second, he must lead you, like the Good Shepherd, to safe pastures. And third, he must bring you to greater holiness. In the confessional, in the Eucharist, in the anointing at baptism, confirmation and in the care of the sick, Father will strengthen you in the grace that will have you grow in holiness before the Lord.
Now, the word, parish, is derived from the ancient Greek – pa-roi-ki-a -; the Spanish, parroquia, is much closer to the original Greek than its English equivalent. It meant a sojourn in a foreign land, or a community of sojourners. And so, when the Hebrew Scriptures were first translated into Greek, pa-roi-ki-a was used to describe the Israelites as they journeyed through the desert on their way to the Promised Land.
As Catholic Christians, to say that we are parishioners of this or that parish is to identify us as members of a pilgrim people called forth by God. To say that we are parishioners is to acknowledge that we sojourn in the way that his Son Jesus opens before us.
Our parishes, where the community of sojourners meet, are then like way stations along our pilgrim way. And as the Israelites had to do battle with the Amalekites in the desert so we too will need to do battle with the forces of the Evil One who would send us back into slavery.
In Christ, we enjoy the “freedom of the children of God,” but freedom isn’t free – it involves struggle. We won’t keep our freedom without fighting for it. And where is the power for this fight? Prayer. The source of our victory over sin is found in prayer – in persevering prayer until the final victory is won. We need to learn how to be “prayer warriors.”
Father Joseph Maalouf, as your pastor, is in charge of his way station, or rest stop. His job is to train you — by word and example — how to be good “prayer warriors” and to lead you successfully on your pilgrim journey to the Promised Land.
Father will serve you well. And he will do so not by calling attention to himself but by calling attention to the Lord; he will do so not by seeking his own interests but by putting first God’s will and his people’s good and well-being; he will do so not by trying to please everyone — for one who tries to do that usually ends up pleasing no one; rather, he will do so by trying to please the Lord in all things.
