In today’s Readings, we get a glimpse of what is going on in the heart of Moses and the heart of a ｗidow. In the passage from the Exodus, the context is the conflict between the Israelites and the Amalekites. Joshua leads, and Moses is praying. Holding the divine staff, Moses is there to seek divine intervention. The community is attacked, and the victory is decisive. Moses prays intensely for the people, for justice. Joshua’s team wins. Moses’ arms, weak and weary, needed support. He persists, and God listens to his plea. You can picture joy on Moses’ face, and gratitude in his heart.
Moses prays for the well-being of others, and it is the key. Routinely, we pray for ourselves, for our needs, for our dear ones. Praying for the larger community, for those who are struggling, for those who have been ignored or forgotten, is an important dimension of our lives. When we pray for others, our heart expands. Simply put, we grow up. Also, when we pray for God’s blessings for others, we become a blessing. As we seek God’s blessings, we can turn our lives into a blessing. I am sure your friends tell you that you are a blessing, being with you, speaking to you is a blessing (hope people won’t run away, once they see you approach them or passing by).
The widow, described in the Gospel, is a remarkable woman. Jesus speaks to the disciples about the importance of faith, about praying always. To illustrate the case, Jesus picks a widow. As we all know, that ‘widow’ in Jewish culture had little standing. Most widows did not own property, had no social status. Orphan and widow, the anavim, together were vulnerable and needed support. Jesus refers to a widow to assert how deep her faith was.
The issue is about being fair, getting justice done. This stubborn lady won’t leave. Let us focus on this: she persists, she is not discouraged. Many may have told her, “Do you think you can fight this case? Do you think that you will get justice? Do you think that the judges will listen to you, your version? Do you know how big and powerful your opponents are, in your case?”
Very frightening scenario. Mortals like us, discouraged, easily give up. How often do we say that in this case, there is no chance of winning? The widow will not leave. She is not looking at how big the opponent is, how corrupt the judge is, and how bad the entire system is! She is looking at how ‘powerful’ the Lord is! Many wonders the Lord has done, and God can do ‘mighty works’ in our times, in our lives also. Her courage and confidence, and her ability to see the bigger picture, is fascinating. Jesus upholds her as a model. We need to see how ‘powerful’ the Lord is, not how discouraging or frightening the world is. God upholds justice. If the disciples could have faith like the widow, if we, all of us, could have deep faith, like this widow, we can be sure that the Lord will guide and accompany us, leading us to victory.
Let us pray for ourselves, for our dear ones, and for all who struggle in their lives; also, let us pray for all who reach out to others, who care for others, and who uphold justice. May we have hearts, like Moses, like the widow, not to be discouraged but to look at the Lord. As we ourselves seek God’s blessings, let us turn our lives into a blessing. May all those who cross our paths experience peace and joy, light and life.
Stanislaus Alla SJ
Vidyajyoti, Delhi
Visiting Professor, Sophia University