Hang in there!(The Word)

America, October, 2004 by Dianne Bergant

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C), Oct. 17, 2004

Readings: Ex 17:8-13; Ps 121:1-8; 2 Tm 3:14--4:2; Lk 18:1-8

Be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient (2 Tm 4:2)

WE ARE NOT a patient people. We want immediate results. We depend on "fast" food; we are used to instant communication. This disposition is particularly obvious in the popularity of quick weight-loss programs. Perseverance is not high on our list of cultural values. We hardly ever hear it discussed in religious circles either.

This is strange, because we know that we will get nowhere in life without it. A marriage will not endure if there is no willingness to persevere in hard times. We must keep on practicing if we hope to become accomplished musicians. We...