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b'(Ex.17:8-13;\\xa0\\xa0 Ps.121:1-8;\\xa0\\xa0 2Tm.3:14-4:2;\\xa0\\xa0 Lk.18:1-8)\\xa0 \\u201cCall out to Him day and night.\\u201d How faithful is the Lord.\\xa0 How true is He.\\xa0 As our psalmist so well states, \\u201cHe neither slumbers nor sleeps.\\u201d\\xa0 Indeed, \\u201cHe is beside [us] at [our] right hand\\u201d; always \\u201cthe Lord will guard [us] from all evil\\u201d \\u2013 \\u201cThe Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever.\\u201d\\xa0 But are we so faithful to Him, turning to Him for His eternal help? \\u201cPray always without becoming weary.\\u201d\\xa0 This is our instruction today.\\xa0 This is the \\u201cwisdom for salvation\\u201d sacred Scripture brings us.\\xa0 Do we receive the \\u201ccorrection\\u201d and \\u201ctraining for righteousness\\u201d it would impart?\\xa0 Do as Jesus asks: \\u201cPay attention to what the dishonest judge says.\\u201d\\xa0 Though he \\u201cneither fear[s] God nor respect[s] any human being,\\u201d yet because of the widow\\u2019s persistence, he renders a just decision for her.\\xa0 And do you think God will not hear and answer us when we call out to Him?\\xa0 Do you think He is so \\u201cslow to answer\\u201d?\\xa0 Rather, \\u201cHe will see to it that justice is done\\u2026 speedily,\\u201d for ever He waits for us to turn to Him; always He longs to do justice for us \\u2013 it is His great joy to answer our prayers. Learn from our reading from the Book of Exodus.\\xa0 It informs us, \\u201cAs long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight.\\u201d\\xa0 And it was not until Aaron and Hur supported him and \\u201chis hands remained steady till sunset\\u201d that \\u201cJoshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.\\u201d\\xa0 And so the sword of the Spirit shall not truly be our own, we will not truly be victorious in the battle against sin, until we remain always in the presence of the Lord, until we, like Him, no longer slumber or sleep. Brothers and sisters, \\u201cproclaim the Word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient,\\u201d as Paul exhorts us.\\xa0 In sacred Scripture and the power of the Spirit we find our source for right living; by it we become \\u201cequipped for every good work.\\u201d\\xa0 And consistently good works are found by us only if our prayer is consistent and good.\\xa0 Only if we remain steady and persistent in our calling out to Him at all times will He \\u201cnot suffer [our] foot to slip.\\u201d\\xa0 Let us \\u201clift up [our] eyes toward the mountains,\\u201d seeing always whence our help comes.\\xa0 The Lord prays for us always; let us join Him in prayer. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Over the Stumbling Block" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, may you find faith in our hearts, and perseverance in doing your will. YHWH, we must but be persistent, persistent in our prayer and in our work for you, and we shall find your blessing \\u2013 all our enemies will be conquered and we will dwell forever with you. We look to you, O LORD, for you alone are our strength and our salvation, you alone guard us from all evil and equip us well for battle.\\xa0 In you and in your Word we take our refuge, and so we find the wisdom we need to attain to your glory.\\xa0 Quickly you come to answer our pleas, for your heart is ever set on our salvation. O may your arms be ever raised to bless us!\\xa0 May your love for us remain always steady, and we remain steady with you.\\xa0 Let us not grow weary in the battle of earthly life but continually find our inspiration in you, always ready to do your will.\\xa0 Hear us as we call upon you this day, O LORD, and justice shall be ours.'