TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY OF YEAR "C"

Cycle “C” [Luke 17, 5 - 10]

            Whenever something violent or shocking happens, we older ones are inclined to say, “It was never like this in the old days”  -  and off we go recalling the past like an old classical painting  - a time when we were poor but we were happy, no one locked the door at night, kids could play safely in parks and streets and everyone went to church on Sunday. Today’s world, by contrast, seems like a “ruddy nightmare”, a scary place.

            The trouble is, history teaches us that the world has always been a violent and hostile place, full of scary people as well as granddads in slippers. Not only have there been prisons, and felons to fill them, our own lifetime has seen people suddenly convulse into violent conflict in the name of God. Even going years and years back, to the time of the prophet Habakkuk, we read the same old story.

            There’s Habakkuk having a good old moan because everything is pear-shaped and gone haywire. The year is 600 B.C., the Iraqis (Babylonians) have just knocked seven bells out of the Iranians (Assyrians) and are now threatening to do the same to Jerusalem. To make matters worse, it’s every man for himself in the Mafia-ridden Judean economy and, as usual, it’s the innocent who are suffering most. “Outrage and violence”, he cries, “this is all I see’ all is contention, and discord flourishes. It seems that civilisation is built on violence. 

Habakkuk complains that God does not seem to be concerned about the ghastly social disorder that was making life intolerable for the people of Judah. God responds. He assures Habakkuk that his complaint will not go unheeded. God wants his reply to be inscribed on tablets as a guarantee that it will be carried through. In God’s good time the plans of the proud will be brought to nothing, but the righteous will lived by their faithfulness. God is asking for patience and for faith in the ultimate success of his plans.

God’s reply might not seem very encouraging at first. God says, “See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights, but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.” However, the message is clear. “Deep down, your soul is your life. If your soul is clogged with sin, dismay or regret, you won’t be able to cope with all this. You’ll flag. It’ll all be too much.” Notice, God doesn’t say, “Nothing bad will happen.” He just says, “Be prepared.”

            Surprise, surprise. We find Jesus sorting the lads out in the Gospel in similar fashion. The apostles want more faith  -  maybe to work miracles like Jesus, or maybe they’re struggling to cope with the challenges of forgiveness and courage that he is setting before them. At any rate, the Lord informs them that even with a little faith they could alter the layout of their garden and, more importantly, they could alter the layout of their lives.

The idea of uprooting a mulberry tree, which is relatively large and has deep roots, and planting it in the sea represented an impossibility. In making this statement, Jesus was saying that it is the quality of faith that matters. Faith in him can lead the apostles to achieve wondrous things.

Jesus confronts the disciples by depicting a servant, acting in faith rather than moaning about how little of it he has. Obviously then, Jesus knew it was as hard to uproot an apostle from his couch as it was to drag a mulberry bush into the sea.

            And what about us ? Well our excuse for staying on the couch is the sheer size of the task. The world is too big, too messy, and even the thought of getting involved is exhausting. We’re called not just to lament but to serve before things get worse. We’re called to use our faith, not just analyse doubt. God is asking us to change the world, not hide from it. Be brave, don’t flag; these may not be the good old days, but they’re the only ones we’ve got. In the words of Paul: 

Fan into a flame the gift that God gave you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. Never be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God.

                        In this connection, I’d like to say that this call is continuous with our daily living and careers. Allow me to explain. One level a career can be described as a job that sustains your interest while you make enough money to support yourself in a comfortable life-style. But a career can be more than that: it can be a vocation, a calling; and in a very deep sense finding your vocation is finding yourself. When you have found your calling, you can express love through your work. In fact, love is the key to your success in mastering your vocation; it directs you to those special talents you can give to the world. Your own careful choice if a career can be a contribution to others as well as to your own sense of fulfilment. It can be life’s work with rewards far greater than the accumulation of wealth. Our very work, profession or career can be offered to God to be used by him for his Kingdom.  If we are God’s servants, then even the greatest sacrifices made for him are no more than our duty. We need humbly to recognise that all our love, strength, time and service belong to the Lord.

 PRAYER  by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850- 1894)

Grant O God that we here before thee may be set free from the fear of vicissitude and the fear of death, may finish what remains before us of our course without dishonour to ourselves or hurt to others; and when the day comes, may die in peace. Deliver us from fear and favour, from mean hopes and cheap pleasures. Have mercy on each in his deficiency; let him be not cast down. Support the stumbling on the way, and give at last rest to the weary.

=========================================================================

Scripture for Sunday's Liturgy of the Word: 27Sunday Cycle “C”

Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Luke 17:5-10

A reflection on today's Sacred Scriptures:

In our present-day battle with Al Quaeda and world terrorism, we can often feel a sense of helplessness. We can even wonder where God is. And so we can sympathize with the frustration of Habakkuk in today's readings. "How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but you do not listen!" The prophet is angry as he watches the steady growth of the Babylonian Empire which threatens to swallow up Israel. After listening for a while to this outburst, God answers Habakkuk. He tells the prophet that His divine plan is all mapped out in His mind. "The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint."

 He says, in effect, just be patient, don't be so rash, and stir up your faith in Me.

The second reading from St. Paul's letter to Timothy tells us to stir up the flame of our faith, for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather power and love and self-control, it's a question of living out our faith in trust and patience.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is even more demanding of His followers than His Father was with Habakkuk. When His disciples beg of Him to increase their faith, He emphasizes first their need for humility. He shows them what He means by comparing them to servants. "When you have done all that is commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done only what we were supposed to do." In other words, stop complaining and do your work. Now that takes humility! As for their need of faith, He tells them that real faith is so powerful that a man of faith could demand of a tough stubborn mulberry bush, "Be transported into the sea, and be planted there" and it would happen!

 It's that kind of faith that St. Paul was trying to fan into a flame in his faithful disciples.

All followers of Christ are meant to live by faith. As Catholic Christians, we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist that we receive each week or even daily. Today is a good Sunday to fan that flame of faith in us by reciting every day, either privately or with our family, the Holy Rosary. October is the month of the Rosary. This is also "Respect Life Sunday" in which we make reparation for the millions of innocent children who have died through abortion. 

O Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
beg God to show us His mercy
for these sins against His love.