We are still on that road!
Jerusalem is getting closer, but the journey is perhaps a little tiresome for some. Maybe the seeming endless discussions, harsh at times, with the Pharisees and High Priests are wearing people down. A bit like Ukraine, let alone Myanmar! They and us need to pray continually and never lose heart ♥️
Jesus, in a sense, gives a rousing three-quarter time rallying call. And we will have another such reminder next week.
The example he uses this week reflects a familiar theme. He finds a member of the “lonely, lost and last” of his community to carry the message. Widows then suffered much discrimination. They had scant support from the State, no regular pension, little assistance from the community. We remember the words spoken by the Prophets and St Paul about the believers coming to the help of the “widows and orphans”.
Happily, then as now, we have individuals who just don’t give up! They restore hope and faith to the community. Many, like Mary MacKillop, we canonise. Most, we don’t. They become the source of renewed example and commitment for those “who have faith for a time, but in a season of testing, fall away” (Luke 8:13).
Every now and then we are asked to put in the hard yards when we just felt the need to call it quits.
Imagine our widow today being like the person we can all call to mind who comes out swinging because they know that the cause is just, and justice is all that they seek.
Perseverance and commitment.
Finally, given the background to this parable, I think it worth remembering that our wonderful God still prefers us to use our gifts aided by his help, grace and strength, rather than interfering too much by sign and wonders. He wants, in a sense, to let the club do the work.
God trusts us and has faith that we will act.
So, pray continually and never lose ❤️ again.
Mons Frank.
P.S. Just a small update re the floods in our region…
The smallish Campaspe River, just east of Bendigo, has proved once again that nature is powerful. The Church School Presbytery in Rochester are flood affected and the town cut off. The Cornella Church was surrounded on Friday. It is on the west of the Rushworth Parish. In the town of Murchison on the East on the Goulburn River has serious damage in the township. Benalla Church is surrounded by water from the Broken River and these rivers are now isolating parts of Shepparton and district. All, let alone the Ovens and King Rivers in the Wangaratta areas, are sending water to make life very uncomfortable for Echuca sitting on an already flooding Murray.
And they said we would never fill our water storages again.
Thankfully reports suggest but one death, in Rochester, one too many but the supporting communities are proving again the words from the Song of Songs, “Love is something that no flood can quench, no torrents drown”.