October 6, 2013

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 141
Reading 1 HB 1:2-3; 2:2-4

A reading from the Holy Book of Habbakkuk

How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

The Prophet Habbakkuk calls out to God for help.  And God reveals the mystery of faith.  One must persevere to the end, believing that God will bring good from evil.  Even unto death.

Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Understand that the hardships we face are a test of our faith.  If we continue, faithful to God, our faith will be purified like gold in the fire.  And our reward will be great in heaven.

Reading 2 2 TM 1:6-8, 13-14

Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

We are Christians day in and day out, at work and at play.  If we are ashamed of God here and now, He will be ashamed of us in the end of days.  Always be prepared to give the reasons for your hope to all who ask.

Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.

Remember the Teachings of the Church, which are the Word of God which Jesus handed down to the Church that the Church may hand down to us.

Gospel LK 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

A mustard seed is a very tiny seed which grows into a big bush, some as big as trees.  Therefore, the faith of the mustard seed is not reflected by its size now, but its size later.  It is reflected in what the mustard seed will do.  Think of the "Little Engine that could."  But mostly, think of Abraham, who being a hundred years old and his body almost dead.  And his aged wife Sarah, had never had any children.  Yet he had faith to perform his husbandly duties because God said to him, "Next time this year, you will have a son of your loins."  (Romans 4:18-20).

"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

God is our Father.  But God is also sovereign Lord.  And He is our Just Judge.  In the end, it won't matter how many times we said, "I believe".  What will matter is how many times we put our faith into action.  Because the bottom line is faith acting in love (Galatians 5:6). The bottom line is keeping God's commandments (1 Corinthians 7:19).