Today, as the Church throughout the world celebrates World Mission Sunday, the Gospel presents us with the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Jesus tells us this story to teach one essential lesson: we must always pray and never lose heart.
The widow in the parable has no wealth, no influence, no human power. She represents the poor, the forgotten, the voiceless. The judge, on the other hand, is corrupt, caring neither for God nor for people. By human standards, the widow has no chance of obtaining justice. Yet she does not give up. Her only weapon is persistence. She returns again and again, until the judge finally relents.
If such persistence can move even a corrupt judge, how much more will our loving Father listen to the cries of His children? This is the heart of the parable. God is not unjust; He does not grow tired of us. He hears our prayers, though His answers may come in ways we do not expect, or in times beyond our own. Jesus ends with a searching question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” That is the challenge for us—to keep praying, to keep believing, to keep witnessing, even when results are not immediate.
On this World Mission Sunday, as we celebrate the Jubilee Year 2025, is a time when we walk together as Pilgrims of Hope. Mission isn’t exclusive to priests, religious, or those who go to distant places; it is a universal calling for all the baptized. Every one of us is sent, and each of us is called to share the light of Christ with the world.
How do we live this mission? Like the widow, we may feel powerless in the face of so many challenges—persecutions on account of faith, poverty, violence, and division. Yet persistence in faith, hope, and love transforms hearts. Small acts of witness—an honest word at work, kindness to a neighbour, prayer for someone in need, forgiveness in a family—these are missionary acts. God takes our small seeds and makes them grow.
To be pilgrims of hope is to live simply, to reduce unnecessary wants, to build bridges, and to walk with others. Mission is not about doing extraordinary things but about being faithful in ordinary life.
Children and youth live out this mission by showing kindness at school and including those who are left out. Families live out their mission by praying together, forgiving one another, and welcoming others. Workers and professionals live by acting with integrity and compassion. The elderly and the sick live a mission by offering their prayers and sufferings for the Church. Priests and religious guide this mission by forming communities of hope and solidarity.
Dear friends, let us not become weary. Let us persevere in prayer, like the widow. Let us continue in mission, as pilgrims of hope. And may our lives, lived with faith and love, proclaim the Gospel to Hong Kong and to the ends of the earth.
Father Josekutty Mathew CMF
