Keep Knocking Until the Door Opens
Catholic Homily for November 15, 2025
Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 18:1–8
Jesus tells a story about two people who couldn’t be more different. There’s a widow – someone with no power, no connections, and no money. In that culture, widows were among the most vulnerable people in society. Then there’s a judge who, Jesus tells us plainly, “neither feared God nor respected people.” This judge was corrupt, selfish, and didn’t care about doing the right thing.
The widow had a legal case – someone had wronged her and she needed justice. She went to the judge asking for help. He ignored her. She came back. He turned her away. She kept coming back, day after day, asking for the same thing.
Finally, the corrupt judge gave in. But not because he suddenly developed a conscience or started caring about justice. He helped her because, as he said to himself, “This widow keeps bothering me. I will give her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”
The Point Jesus Is Making
Jesus isn’t comparing God to the corrupt judge. He’s making what’s called an argument “from the lesser to the greater.” His point is this: if even a selfish, corrupt judge will eventually respond to persistent requests, how much more will our loving heavenly Father respond to His children who pray to Him?
The corrupt judge helped the widow to get her off his back. But God wants to help us because He loves us. The judge was annoyed by the widow’s persistence. But God is pleased when we keep coming to Him in prayer.
Jesus is teaching us that some doors open at the first knock, but most doors open to steady hands – hands that keep knocking with patient persistence.
The Real Question
But then Jesus asks a troubling question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” He’s not questioning God’s willingness to answer prayer. He’s questioning whether we’ll have the endurance to keep praying when the answers don’t come quickly.
The problem isn’t God’s attention – it’s our endurance. We live in a world of instant everything. We expect immediate responses to our texts, fast food at drive-throughs, and quick solutions to all our problems. But prayer often works differently. God’s timing is not our timing.
Many people start praying with great enthusiasm, but when they don’t see immediate results, they give up. They conclude that God isn’t listening, doesn’t care, or that prayer doesn’t work. But Jesus is teaching us that persistence in prayer is actually a sign of faith, not a lack of it.
Why God Sometimes Makes Us Wait
When we don’t get immediate answers to our prayers, it’s easy to think God is absent or ignoring us. But Jesus teaches us that delay is not absence – it’s schooling of the heart.
Here’s what happens when we keep praying over time:
Prayer ripens desire – When we have to keep asking for something, we discover how much we really want it. Sometimes what we thought we desperately needed turns out to be just a passing wish. But the things we keep praying for month after month reveal our deepest longings.
Prayer purifies motives – The longer we pray about something, the more we examine why we want it. Are we asking for something that would truly be good for us and others? Or are we asking for something selfish? Extended prayer helps us align our desires with God’s will.
Prayer anchors hope in God rather than outcomes – When we have to wait for answers, we learn to find our peace in God himself, not just in getting what we want. We discover that our relationship with God is more valuable than any specific answer to prayer.
Perseverance in prayer is love refusing to quit. It’s saying to God, “I believe You are good, You are wise, and You care about me, even when I can’t see what You’re doing.”
Praying for Today’s Widows
The widow in Jesus’ story represents all people who are vulnerable and overlooked. Today’s “widows” might be single mothers struggling to make ends meet, elderly people in nursing homes who rarely get visitors, immigrants facing discrimination, workers being treated unfairly, or anyone who feels powerless against systems that don’t seem to care about them.
Jesus wants us to pray not just for our own needs, but for people like this widow – the underpaid, the unheard, the overlooked. And He challenges the Church to be the opposite of the corrupt judge. Instead of being slow to respond and hard to reach, the Church should be quick to listen, quick to act, and quick to defend those who need help.
Three Ways to Pray Like the Widow
Hold a case – Choose one specific intention and present it to God daily until He answers or redirects you. Don’t scatter your prayers in all directions. Pick something important to you – maybe a family member who’s struggling, a personal weakness you want to overcome, or a situation in your community that needs change. Pray about it consistently, day after day. Keep a simple record if it helps you stay focused.
Pair prayer with justice – Do one concrete work for someone vulnerable while you intercede for them. Don’t just pray about problems – be part of the solution. If you’re praying for the homeless, volunteer at a shelter. If you’re praying for the elderly, visit a nursing home. If you’re praying for struggling families, donate to a food bank or help a specific family you know. Let your actions support your prayers.
Refuse cynicism – Replace complaint with a simple cry: “Jesus, I trust in You.” When you’re tempted to say “Prayer doesn’t work” or “God doesn’t care” or “Nothing ever changes,” stop and say instead, “Jesus, I trust in You.” This isn’t denial of difficulties – it’s a choice to trust God’s goodness even when you can’t see His plan.
God Will Not Delay Forever
Jesus promises that “God will vindicate His chosen in His time.” Notice He doesn’t say “if” but “when.” God will act. He will bring justice. He will answer prayer. But He will do it in His perfect timing, which is often different from our preferred timing.
The key is to keep knocking with humble courage. Not demanding that God do what we want when we want it, but persistently bringing our needs and concerns to Him, trusting that He knows what’s best.
When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? He will find it in people who kept praying when prayers seemed unanswered, who kept trusting when circumstances looked hopeless, who kept knocking when doors seemed permanently closed.
Like the widow who wouldn’t give up, we can keep coming to God with our requests, knowing that our heavenly Father is infinitely more loving and just than any earthly judge. And when we keep knocking with faith, He will find that faith at the door and reward our persistence with His perfect answer.
Let us Pray,
Heavenly Father, teach us to pray with the persistence of the widow in Jesus’ story. When our prayers seem to go unanswered, help us remember that delay is not denial. Give us the endurance to keep bringing our needs to You, trusting in Your perfect timing and wisdom. Help us also to be quick to help others who are vulnerable and overlooked, just as we hope You will be quick to help us. When Your Son returns, may He find faith in our hearts and persistence in our prayers. Amen.
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