Here is what we prayed for in our Opening Prayer (the Collect)...
we prayed...

• that we always conform our will to God's will
• and that we serve Him in sincerity of heart.

hear this...hear this...it's what we prayed for...
it's one of the things we are praying or offering this Mass for...
that we always conform our will to God's will
and that we serve Him in sincerity of heart.

When I used to hear words like that I would think that this is to difficult for me...
or that calls me to do a lot...much of which is impossible for me to do.

As I thought about these words in preparation for today my thought was different.
If God call us to do it He will make us able to do it.

I had the question ... How can we do it...How do we do it...How can we do that?

The scriptures for today draw back the veil of revelation...
and show us a solid foundation for conforming our will to God's will
and serving Him in sincerity of heart.

• that foundation is something we all can do
• that foundation is PRAYER.

READING 1 (Exodus 17:8-13)

• Joshua is leading the Hebrew army on behalf of Moses.
• Joshua is engaging Amalek in battle...a pagan nation and the enemy of Israel.
• when Moses hands were down to rest them...Amalek had the better of the fight...

but when Moses hands were raised Israel had the better of the fight.

When Moses hands were raised they were in the praying position.

• hands raised is often called the orans position...the position of prayer or praying.
  (our priest does it often in Mass)
• Prayer it is that gives Israel victory over Amalek.
• Prayer give us the grace of victory in our battle to conform our will to God's will
  and to serve Him in sincerity of heart.

GOSPEL (Luke 18:1-8)

Jesus shares a Parable.Parable...from the Greek...means to throw together things for comparison
or illustration.

A parable is intended for us to reflect on the parable...
and thereby connect the story to our lives...
and change our lives because of what we discover in the parable.

This parable...today's parable.

• the judge in the parable does not honor God or respect people.
• the woman only wants a just decision...a right and honest decision.
• She doesn't want what she doesn't have coming.

She wants only what she does have coming...What is rightly hers.

• what causes her to receive the answer she wants...the decision she needs...
  a right and honest decision?
• she is persistent in asking.
• Jesus acknowledges her faith in asking and her faith in persisting in asking.
• do we believe if we pray hard enough and long enough we can pressure
  God...twist his arm so to speak...to hear and respond to what we are asking for?

If we think that way we are thinking more of ourselves then we ought...
and we are thinking less of God then we should.
God doesn't need His arm twisted in order to help us...He loves us.
-are we to persevere in prayer...praying hard enough and long enough
in order to win some concession from the Lord?
OR
-are we to persevere in prayer because we believe?
-Is it because we believe in the Lord...we trust in the Lord...
we love the Lord...and believe He loves us that we pray...
and persevere in prayer?

READING 2 (2 Timothy 3:14-4:2)

Paul tells Timothy...and he tells us...

• We find wisdom in the scriptures that equips us for every good work.
• a good work of proclaiming the word...proclaiming it in word and action.
• we are to be persistent...whether it is convenient or inconvenient.
• Faith that leads us to prayer will equip us to...
  • convince...reprimand...encourage...through patience and teaching others.
  • That's to be equipped for every good work.

Our success in every good work is founded on the rock of prayer.
For living as men and women of prayer we will conform our will to God's will...
-and serve Him in sincerity of heart.