Pray and Not Lose Heart

Luke 18:1-8

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, urging his disciples to “pray always and not lose heart.” Father Mark reflects on how the widow—vulnerable and without worldly power—embodies both tenacity and faith. Despite her weakness, her persistence triumphs over an unjust authority. This is not simply human determination, Father Mark notes, but divine energy working through her openness to God. Her continual pleading becomes a living prayer—an unbroken connection with God that channels His justice into the world.

Father Mark explains that to “pray always” does not mean constant recitation, but living in a continual state of openness and communion with God. Drawing on Franciscan and biblical scholars, he reminds us that prayer in Jesus’ native Aramaic literally means “to be open.” True prayer is vulnerability, a willingness to remain connected to God’s flow even when we feel powerless. Like the widow, those who seem weak can move mountains when their hearts remain receptive to divine strength, which empowers them to bring justice and hope into seemingly hopeless circumstances.

Finally, Father Mark urges his listeners not to “lose heart,” which means keeping one’s heart expansive, loving, and unblocked by bitterness or ego. Through daily stillness, reflection, and “heart checks,” we can stay open to the Holy Spirit’s life-giving flow. In a world often hardened by selfishness, partisanship, and indifference, the call to pray always and not lose heart becomes a radical act of faith. When our hearts stay open to God’s Spirit, the dishonest judges of the world cannot prevail—because God’s justice, mercy, and peace will ultimately flow through us into the world.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.