Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give whatever he needs because of his persistence.”

Daniel Hillard understood the virtue of persistence. He showed it as he worked with his marriage. Granted, part of the problem between Miranda and him was his own carefree attitude, but when he speaks as Mrs. Doubtfire he continually reminds his wife that they should work things out. We particularly see his persistence as he works on behalf of his children. He assumed the identity of Mrs. Doubtfire in order to achieve that goal and accomplished it as best he could.

Considering only the externals, Jesus of Nazareth and the carefree talented father who became Mrs. Doubtfire in the movie named after him, are very much alike. From the movie, we are not even sure whether Daniel is Christian or not. But Daniel Hillard knew about persistence and perseverance, whether in prayer or in life.
 
Several times in the Gospels, Jesus urges his followers to persevere in prayer. He tells some stories to illustrate his point, one of which is in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus’ point: if someone is persistent in something, that persistence will pay off, and he will get what he wants. Jesus is applying it to prayer, saying to be persistent in prayer, so that the goals you have in mind may be accomplished.
 
Daniel Hillard possessed the virtue of persistence. If Daniel were a Christian, he most likely would have been quite persistent in prayer also. In fact, with Daniel’s conversion process, he might quite naturally have embraced prayer as he wanted to put his marriage back together.

Persistence in achieving a goal is a value that everyone must keep in mind. It is important in life; it is important in whatever life-style we may choose. It is especially important in marriage and the love of future children. Jesus’ teaching on persistence in prayer also is a goal that is important in life. The more mature one becomes, the more one realizes that persistence in prayer is an invaluable aid to persistence in achieving other worthwhile goals in life.                 

THOUGHT
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we are following your Son’s teaching about prayer as we address you daily. Help us pray for the things that are important for our maturity, and especially help us be persistent in seeking your help. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America