Persistent AND Patient

  Today's readings teach us to be persistent and patient. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to be persistent and patient in prayer. St. Paul, in the second reading, urges Timothy to be persistent and patient in teaching. Persistence and patience are not the same. We are persistent when we persevere in doing the same thing always, time and again, whenever we are required to do so. Persistence requires discipline and commitment. Patience adds a further element of suffering: we are patient when we keep doing the right thing despite times being harder, despite opposition, in the face of different trials, etc. Thus, prayer needs to be persistent, and we sometimes are persistent, but we may give up when things don’t go our way and get discouraged. We were persistent, but because of lack of patience, we stop or relent in our prayers. In a similar way, the one who teaches might be constant and disciplined in delivering his message, but then, when people react harshly to his teaching and do not want to follow the right doctrine, the teacher may get discouraged and give up, for lack of results. We need to be patient in front of suffering…

Jesus give us the key to persevere in the face of suffering: faith. This is why he says at the end: “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What does this mean? How does faith encourage us to persevere and be patient?

Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

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