From our gospel readings we are reminded that the true exercise of faith is founded on a patient and persistent prayer.  We cannot “live faith” without “living in prayer”.  The gospel of Luke is a primer on prayer and constantly shows us Jesus in prayer to the Father, sometimes even praying throughout the entire night.  Jesus not only prays but he “lives in prayer”.  Jesus assures us that he is never alone and that everything that he does or accomplishes here on earth is actually the Father working in and through him.  He never acts on his own but is always carrying out the will of the Father in obedience.  To see the works of Jesus is to see the Father at work.  “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” (Jn 5,17)  Jesus goes on to assure us that, “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10,30)  This oneness and unity with the Father is the fruit of a persistent and consistent openness to the Father in prayer.

     Through the continual lifting up of his heart and mind to the Father in prayer, his directing and uniting his will to the will of the Father, his listening and pondering of the Sacred Scriptures, his awareness of the Father’s presence within him, his openness to the power of the Spirit working through him, Jesus is firmly rooted in faith.  The roots of faith have sunk deep down into the soil of his humble trust of the Father’s love and given him stability in his life and his journey to Jerusalem. He can “set his face” on Jerusalem and be determined in his carrying out the mission that the Father has entrusted to him.  When Jesus prays he is able to say to the Father, “I know that you always hear me.” (Jn 11,42)  It is this faith that sustains him in the many challenges that he faces along the road to Calvary.

     At one point in his journey, after he has spent a considerable amount of time in prayer with the Father the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray.  He gives to them at this time the prayer of the “Our Father”.  True prayer has to go beyond words and reach into the heart of the disciple and transform that heart into a heart of love formed in the image of the heart of Jesus.  Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with his daily example of prayer to the Father.  Prayer is a way of life, a way of faith.  It has to go beyond the occasional formula of prayer and has to penetrate into every area and circumstance of life.  For this to happen prayer must be patient, persistent and continuous. 

     Jesus asks the rhetorical question at the end of the gospel, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18,8)  Jesus is not just throwing out a cynical comment to his disciples.  He is helping them to understand that if they do not persist in prayer that they will not persist in faith.  Our persistent prayer shows a trust in God the Father that he will act justly and will answer our prayers according to his justice and mercy.  God will not fail us.  God hears and answers every prayer that we lift up to him, especially when we offer those prayers “day and night.”

     If we are to be true disciples of our Lord we need to be people of persistent prayer.  We must strive to “pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” (Eph 6,18) as St. Paul instructs us.  This prayer must come from our hearts where we experience a deep union with the Father.  This prayer must be a way of life that we follow and to which we are committed.  Our prayer is always a prayer of faith, believing that the angels will carry our prayers before the Glory of the Lord, will read them into the records and will help us to understand the answer that God gives to our prayers.  Our prayers will always return justice and will reveal God’s providential love and care for us.  Prayer is not our way of pressuring God to do what we want him to do but of seeking God’s will in all things and trusting that his will will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”  May all of our prayers rise up to God like incense before his glory and help us to glorify God in all things.  May all of our lives be a patient and persistent search for God to reveal his will and purpose for our lives.