October 19, 2025

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) 

Divine Answers: Yes…No…Wait

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

 
The Gospel of Saint Luke is often called the Gospel of Prayer. It contains more references to prayer than the other Gospels. In it we find Jesus at prayer, the Lord’s Prayer as well as the prayers of Our Lady, Zechariah, and Simeon. It also includes parables about prayer and we come upon one today: “It is the story of a poor, defenseless, aggrieved widow who brings her case to court. 
 
The judge she faces is formidable. He was cold, insensitive, and merciless. Our Lord says that he “neither feared God nor respected any human being.” The judge admits this! He had not the least interest in ruling on the widow’s case. But in this widow, the judge meets his match. She is persistent, calling on the judge day after day. So tenacious is she that the judge finally relents and delivers a just decision—not because he cares about justice—but because he wants to be rid of a nuisance. He even fears the widow might assault him. He does the right thing but for the wrong reasons. So, a widow’s persistence conquers a judge’s cruelty.
 
Our Lord’s lesson is that if an unjust judge can finally be pestered into answering a widow’s request, then surely God can be trusted to meet our needs. But so often we wonder, we doubt whether God answers our prayers: “Father, I’ve prayed so long but I fear God has turned a deaf ear.” But our loving God does answer our prayers in one of three ways. 
 
God’s answer may be “yes” and so in our delight, we praise and thank the Lord.
 
God’s answer to our prayers may be “No.” “No” is tough. It challenges us to remember that an all-knowing God is aware of the entire timeline of history. God sees the “big picture;” we see a partial brushstroke. Proverbs says, “trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” God loves us too much to give us what he knows to be harmful to us. 
 
God’s answer might also be “wait, not now.” Sometimes hearing “wait” is harder than hearing “no” because it involves patience and in our digital AI age, patience is in short supply. We want instant results. St. Pio (Padre Pio) reminds us that “we cannot give God deadlines.” His delays are not denials! In his wisdom, God knows that the timing is not right, or we may not be right. God may want to do some things in our life before he grants our request. Sometimes, God’s delays help to purify our requests. As we keep up our prayer over time, we are forced to rethink the nature of our request and the purpose for which we desire it.       
 
We can be sure of this: when we feel God has turned a deaf ear not answering our prayer in the way, or within the schedule we establish, it is not because God is uninterested in our plight. Our task is to persevere realizing that God’s wisdom is higher than our own, and that he may allow circumstances, even those unpleasant, to bring about a greater good. Let’s remember:
 
The future belongs to God. 
We can trust that it is sure and secure.
It may be beyond our grasp, but it is not beyond His.
 So, we need to wait for Him and not rush through life.
 We need to make sure we are not missing the Lord of today
    by only looking at the Lord of tomorrow.
 What is it that you are waiting on God to do?
Is it the return of a prodigal? The salvation of a loved one?
         Healing? A job?
We can be so focused on the delay of a response
that we miss out on the blessings that surround us.
 Today let’s allow God to help us step away 
from the door that has not opened for us yet,
   and allow ourselves to see that God is with us—
   that His delays are not denials—
   and let’s take in all of the good things that surround us,
   and thank God for all he has done and will do.