The 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4

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

2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

L uke 17:5-10  The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" (6) And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. (7) "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down  at table'? (8) Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? (9) Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? (10) So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. - Delgman Center of Ignatian Spirituality

PRE-PRAYERING

I suspect that most folks like to sit in the same pew each week surrounded with fellow parishioners with whom they are familiar. The liturgy itself has a familiar ritual sameness. Generally we would rather sing the familiar hymns and groan a bit when the musicians announce the learning of a new song.

There is the old saying about how familiarity breeds contempt. There is this contradiction then, we love the familiar, but it becomes boring and unlively. Parishes have had real struggles when there are changes in the setting. Things get moved around and emotions get moved as well. We can get numbed by the rituals being the same as well. 

As we prepare these days for celebrating a usual Sunday Liturgy, we might watch for the grace and surprises of the unusual, the different, the uncontrolled. Jesus lived the unpredictable, the adventurous, the real. We are sent by the Eucharist, which can be predictable and usual, to live gracefully the mission of showing up and receiving the invitations associated with being people of the Living Bread. Boredom is the result of fear.

REFLECTION

We hear from a little-known prophet in today's First Reading. Habakkuk has a valid complaint with which we have similar feelings. I personally have drifted away from watching the late-evening local news. It is not a peaceful way for me to prepare for the night's rest. Interestingly enough, the news programs all seem to end with a "feel-good" story to help ease the pain. Also interesting is the amount of physical-pain reliever commercials as well as tension resolvers sprinkled throughout the news programs. Habakkuk has had his fill of local and national news of violence and disaster.

We do wonder why the good and loving God doesn't do something about the messes we and others get into. If God is Savior maybe God would have more adherents if God would show up and show off some of that saving love now and then.   

God replies by asking the prophet to write down something of a vision which will take time to come to pass. The rash person will not have peace enough to hope. The person of faith will wait for the vision to become history. Faith is a way of seeing. Seeing is a way of being or seeming to be, in control.

In the previous chapter from which our Gospel is taken for today, there is a quite dramatic statement by Jesus. Speaking of the “kingdom of heaven” Jesus tells the Pharisees that the kingdom is entered violently. We get a picture of just what “violently” means. The apostles ask for an increase in faith. The likelihood is that they are really asking for insights, or a clearer understanding of their lives as followers of Jesus. We would appreciate a heavy import of that as well. Here is the beginning of entering the kingdom violently. The violence is done in our mind and where our fears reside.

Jesus is assuming that their faith is so fragile compared to what is going to be asked of their faith later, as His followers. Their faith now cannot move a tree from the ground into the sea. Following Jesus will ask them to be uprooted themselves from the security of the earth and trust in the insecurity of walking on the waters of doubt, fear, and persecution.

The little story which concludes today’s Gospel seems harsh. The important aspects to face are entitlement, achievement, and partnership. Entering the kingdom violently, remember is the overshadowing theme. The master has servants who have been out doing their works of field and flock. They come in and the master does not do the entitlement achievement, partnership thing, but, because he is master and they are servants, the master seemingly, violently, tells them that dinner-time is soon and he is ready for what he deserves as master. We do not hear the reactions of the hungry and tired servants.

Jesus then asks the apostles, who have asked for more faith, whether they can remember who they are as servants who have been given quite demanding commands. They are to have the faith of dutiful servants and not to be expecting congratulations and rewards for doing what is appropriate to servants of the Master. These teachings of the kingdom are a violence to our sense of justice and equality. We would like to think that God owes us something, because we are doing so many large and little good things totally for God’s glory. Violently does our ego react!

This could be kind of a picture of heaven then. We come in from doing our field and flock works and we can expect that God is so grateful that we are invited, because of our works, to get good seats at the heavenly banquet. We do not deserve heaven. Jesus took away the necessity of our achieving heaven by our works. The work of Jesus, who took upon Him the role of slave and servant, announces more clearly than ever that we too are “unprofitable servants” who are not entitled, but titled, honored and made worthy by the Master’s act of being Servant.

What is violent to our egos is that we are invited to remember who we are, served-servants. All that we do are gestures of loving gratitude. We don’t earn, accomplish, or get heaven except as the gift of a loving and saving Servant Himself. 

“The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who are searching for his love.” Lamentations, 3-25

Supplementary Reading

Trust Him with Your Dreams

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives - John 12:24

I t’s good to be passionate about your dreams, but did you know a dream can actually become an idol? If it’s all you think about, and you’re not going to be happy unless it happens your way, that’s out of balance. The fact is, sometimes you have to release that dream back to the Father.

Sometimes we can get frustrated because we are trying to force things to happen on our timetable. Sometimes we hold on to things so tightly, but when we finally are willing to let them go, that’s when God can bring them to pass. If you’ll choose to release that frustration and not let it become the center of your attention, but instead, use that same time and energy to thank God that He’s directing your steps, you open the door for God to give you the desires of your heart.

We have to remember, God already knows what we want and what we need. He’s the One who put those desires in us. We shouldn’t be consumed by trying to make things happen. Instead, a greater act of faith is to be happy right where you are; to stay open and trust God because He has good plans in store for your future!

Father God, today I release my dreams, my desires, my “wants” like a seed falling to the ground. I know that You have a good plan for my future, and I trust You to bring it to pass in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen. – Joel & Victoria Osteen

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

For past gospel meditations or to browse spiritual readings, you may visit the following:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=216458741502#!/home.php?sk=mynotes

http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com

http://www.webprayze.com