People, Persistence and Prayer
All three readings today remind us of our need for people, persistence and prayer. I’m going to briefly touch on each one individually and give you a few things to consider about your own life. 
People
The book of Exodus is full of many stories which show us the humanity of the people of Israel and the mercy of God. What can we learn from today’s first reading? The Israelites are in a battle and Moses tells Joshua the plan. But Moses grew tired while holding his hands up, so Aaron and Hur supported his hands. 
Firstly, I realize that God, in his mercy, often sends others to help us. Do we see them? We are not meant to live in isolation. Secondly, the role you play in your daily life is unique to you and for you. Joshua’s fighting, Moses lifting the staff, Arron and Hur holding Moses’ hands – all are necessary and important. It is their combined efforts and obedience to God that helps win the battle. 

Persistence 
St. Paul talks about being faithful and the uses of Scripture. He wants Timothy and us to know: 1) the Scripture and use the word of God to teach, correct, and grow in virtue so that we are equipped for the work God has for us, 2) that our persistence and patience are necessary to proclaim the word, 3) that before we can teach others, we must have knowledge of God’s Word.
Prayer
In today’s Gospel from Luke Jesus tells a parable to remind us to “pray always without becoming weary.” The story can be a bit confusing. Is God like the judge who finally answers the widow because she kept asking for a verdict? The judge sounds annoyed with the widow. Does this mean our constant praying annoys God? Not at all! This is another parable where Jesus points out how different God is from human beings. He uses an extreme example to get our attention. 
What can we consider from this parable? 1) Do I continue to pray even if I do not get a response within my timeline or the response that I want? 2) Does your prayer life look like lots of asking God for things and not much praising or offering gratitude? 3) Think about how you can pray without becoming weary and make one small change to your prayer life.
We are not Perfect
In the end, the most important thing we can do is turn to God before we act. It can be as simple as taking a breath and inviting the Holy Spirit to enlighten you before you respond. Other days, you may spend an hour praying with Scripture or praying the rosary with others. The people we spend time with, our level of persistence and our prayer life are going to shift and change as our life does, but I invite you to do your best to put God first throughout the day in different ways. He is always paying attention.
By Deanna Bartalini