SATURDAY HOMILY, 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
SATURDAY HOMILY, 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
THEME: Persistence
By: Deacon Bill Frere
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth
Gospel – Luke 18:1-8
Back when I was in grade school, I remember my mom taking us shopping for school clothes. And as we were walking through the store, I noticed this sweater and I decided I had to have it. So I nagged, I pleaded, I yelled, I cried, I threw an awful tantrum until my mom gave in and bought the sweater. Yes, it was not one of my finest moments! The sweater was bright red! I mean it could have glowed in the dark! And I ended up wearing it only a couple of times before relegating it to the back of my closet. It was, in the end, a complete waste of time and money. But I was persistent!
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
Today’s Gospel tells us of the story of the widow and the unjust judge, of her persistence in getting a just verdict. We are all called to proclaim the Gospel! We are all called to proclaim it persistently. Our faith demands persistence and perseverance.
A dear friend of ours passed away a few years ago after battling cancer for over 12 years. She was humble, courageous, strong, loving and devoted to her family and she had a constant faith in her God. She was persistent in her faith, through it all. Ginger calls her her hero. She had every right to get angry, to rage at God and the cards she was dealt. But she never had a cross word, she was patient and kind, always looking out for everyone else. Even when she was about to enter the hospital for obviously the final time, she gathered her family together, told them over and over again that she loved them, and told them NOT to worry about her, she had already given herself to God!
While most of us will never face that sort of struggle, we all have our trials and tribulations, our crosses to bear, and like the widow, we are all called by God to be persistent, to persevere in our faith, to proclaim the Gospel every day of our life, whether it’s convenient or not, whether we feel like it or not.
And so we all pray that the words of the Gospel, the living word of God, may they always be in our thoughts, on our lips and in our hearts.
FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>
