Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the story of a poor widow who is wronged by someone and ignored by a dishonest judge who did not fear anyone, including God. The widow faced numerous challenges, and unlike other widows who might have given up, she persisted in demanding justice. Her struggle grew so intense that the dishonest judge started to fear her. Through her determination, the widow demonstrated God's anger at the wrong in the world, eventually prompting the judge to do the right thing. God was with her in her strong cry for justice.

One night in December 1956, Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was told to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This had happened many times before, and it seemed like God did not care about the injustice of segregation. However, that night, Rosa decided to stand up against the unfair law. When she refused to move, she got arrested. Her brave act showed God's sadness over racism. This inspired others to join her, leading to peaceful protests against segregation. Together, they boycotted the buses for 380 days, which helped end segregation on the buses. Through Rosa Parks' brave actions, God prompted people to seek justice.

In our difficulties, God shows His great love and helps us overcome evil. There is a scene in a Peanuts cartoon where Lucy tells Charlie Brown, "These are your hard days. If you keep your head up and keep fighting, you will win!" Charlie Brown, feeling slightly better, asks, "Really?" To which Lucy replies, "Honestly, no!" 

She is right; we cannot succeed alone. But with God, we can do anything. When God comes to us, even if we can't see Him, may He find us full of faith in His love working through us. Let's continue to pray and stay strong in our fight against the serious wrongs of our times.