29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Persistence in Pursuit of Justice

“Because this widow keeps bothering me, I shall render a just decision for her.” We can choose our words. “Bothering” has a certain connotation. Being a pest about something is another. I have sometimes been accused of being a thorn in the side of someone, given my name.

To be relentless, to persist, to care so much that you are not afraid to speak out, to be bold, to use her voice—are other words to describe this widow, this woman.  After all, what does she have to lose, given her status as a widow?

What do you suppose she was persistent about? What was she experiencing that demanded a just decision for her? What does justice look like today? Who are the women advocating for justice? Am I one of them? What am I willing to do for justice as an individual? Within my family? As a citizen of a powerful nation? As a Catholic?

In my own prayer and reflection, I often ask myself who and what I stand for. Most of the time this comes when I am being critical of what I see as unjust. If I am angry, I am not able to bring goodness. We don’t need greatness; we need goodness. If I am grounded in what Jesus teaches, I can be critical without adding to an enemy list. I am responsible for what I love. I cannot live with suffering without seeing it and doing something.

What is the something you will do this week as one who is persistent in pursuit of justice?