A Few Words On "The Word"

October 21, 2007
The 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Luke 18:1-8

Count on Persevering

One of my favorite books is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. It tells the story of an innocent young sailor named Edmond Dantes who has a lot going for him. He's captain of a ship and engaged to the prettiest girl in town. Unfortunately, Edmond's good fortune inspires jealousy in those close to him who have him arrested and thrown into prison.

During his fourteen years in prison Edmond meets a priest who befriends him, teaches him everything he knows, and tells him of a great treasure. The priest helps Edmond figure out who betrayed him and had him arrested. When the priest dies Edmond finds a way to escape, locates the priest's treasure, and begins plotting his revenge.

Edmond, who is now the Count of Monte Cristo, spends another fourteen years patiently making plans to hunt down and destroy the lives of those who had him arrested. When the time comes, Edmond takes his revenge!

You might wonder why I would tell a story about revenge. Isn't revenge wrong? Aren't we supposed to "love our enemies" and do good to those who hurt us? The answer is most definitely yes! However, Edmond's story is useful to understand for a different reason.

In today's gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable about a judge and a widow. The judge, who is by no means a kind person, continuously refuses to listen to the pleas of the widow who needs his help. Despite being told no time after time, the widow continues to pester the judge until he finally gives in!

Building God's kingdom is a long-term project. In our society it's especially hard to work on a long-term project. We want things now! Unfortunately, impatience ultimately gets us nowhere. We receive the answer "No" much more often than the answer "Yes." Our society tells us that it's easier to give up and move onto something else instead of persevering.

By looking at a simple widow, Jesus tells us that we must persevere. Just like Edmond Dantes who waits for years to achieve his goal, we too must realize that being a peacebuilder is a lifelong project. In fact, it's a project that will continue long after we leave this earth. Our job in this lifetime is to help just one person at a time. We must focus on the long-term goal, keeping our eyes firmly on the promise of God's kingdom. So, when you begin to feel a little tired and want to quit - keep going!

Reflection Question

In what ways do you find inspiration to build God's kingdom when you begin to get tired or frustrated?

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