Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Luke 17:5-10
Good day! Welcome to the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted. I apologize. I have been going through a lot in the last few weeks. I will try to have a post here, but as I mentioned at the start when I began my podcast and these Sunday morning blog posts, there may be times where I may not be able to. Of course, I have discontinued my podcast for various reasons, but continued these posts, (with the exception of the last two weeks). Again, I apologize.
I am working through the issues I have had and will resume this blog with this post. I may start up my podcast again or do something different with that. Anyhow, I will have this blog where you can continue to find reflections on the Sunday readings during the liturgical year of the Catholic Church.
Before going further, I would like to comment on the Gospel readings from the last two Sundays. On the 25th Sunday, Sept. 21, we had a reading from the Gospel of Luke. It was the story of the dishonest steward. This may have been a difficult passage to understand, but basically Jesus is saying in the parable to make friends in this life in case you need something later. Be prudent and charitable with our resources to others because, essentially, what we have is God’s and we shall be loving and giving to others in what God gave us. We must understand that this mortal life we have on Earth is temporary, and we must prepare for eternity by providing an account, if you will, to God for how we have used what has been delegated to us.
Last Sunday’s Gospel was from Luke once again. In it, another parable from Jesus. This one was about two people. There was a rich man and a poor man, Lazarus. The poor man was out in front of the rich man’s house. He was covered with sores and begged for scraps. The rich man paid no attention to him. Finally, both men died. Lazarus was carried up to heaven and rested in the arms of Abraham, while the rich man was sent to Hades and suffered. It is important to note here that the rich man did not have a name. That is because the reader is expected to put his or her name in there because it could be anyone.. He ignored Lazarus all that time and now wanted Lazarus to do things for him because he didn’t think of Lazarus any more than a poor servant or beggar. This reminds us to act kindly and generously to others, as in the previous reading, what God has given us and take account of what we give and do to others. It will be repaid many times over in the glory of heaven.
So now that brings us to today, the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings today, I believe, call for steadfast faith and trust in God’s promises, even amidst hardship and waiting. The readings encourage cultivating hope, living by faithfulness, and acting on our faith through generous service, reminding us that even small acts of faith, when combined with God’s will, can accomplish great things.
In the first reading, the prophet Habakkuk essentially cries out to God for all the evil and suffering he sees and asks God why hasn’t he done anything about it. God answers, “For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie, if it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3, The Great Adventure Bible – 2nd Catholic Edition). This reminds us God works in his time. We must be patient and trust in the Lord God and live in faith. Habakkuk was called to write down God’s vision for a future fulfillment. This helps us maintain the hope for God’s kingdom even in difficult times.
The second reading, I believe, reflects the idea to take courage and faith in God’s word and to use that to help spread the message of the gospel, as it says in the Second Book of Timothy, “… rekindle the gift of God that is within you …, for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, The Great Adventure Bible – 2nd Catholic Edition). By having faith and believing in the word of God, this should give us all the strength and courage to carry out God’s message even when the going gets tough.
Luke’s gospel today strengthens this idea of putting faith into action. It reminds us and teaches us that faith must be put into action through humble service. It emphasizes that even having faith the size of a “grain of mustard seed,” (Luke 17:6, The Great Adventure Bible – 2nd Catholic Edition), one can accomplish anything, which in turn encourages generosity and dedication to God’s will – leading to an abundant service to God.
So, keep the faith. Trust in God’s word and plan. In response to what things have transpired in my life in the last couple of weeks, I believe everything happens for a reason. Again, God has a plan. We must be patient and quiet in order to hear and discern what that plan is. In order to do that, we must have great faith. Even faith the size of a mustard seed.
A Writer's Voice 