The "message" in today's parable is easy to grasp...no head scratching required: pray persistently! Nevertheless, the final words of Jesus in this reading are more perplexing: "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" So what does this have to do with the parable he just told about the persistent widow and the hard-hearted judge? Maybe Jesus is applying the principle of persistent prayer to much more than us just asking God to tend to our own needs? 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador.