27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Prayer
Father of Life, you are the creator and giver of all good things. We thank You for giving us life. Help us to be good Stewards for life. Amen.
Commentary
1st Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
As we look to the crimes inflicted by humanity, we can certainly understand the cry of the Prophet Habakkuk. The world in which he lived looked horrible. Ours does not look much better. We can say, as he did, “Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord.”
While we live in this world that is passing away, we can easily forget that a new world awaits us all. If we are patient and respond to God – even in this violent world – our hope in God will “not disappoint.” Those who fail to hope in God will become complacent and accept the violent world in which we live as the best we can ever hope for. Such rash acceptance and complacency is not the way of stewards for life. God says, “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.”
Question:
How are you proclaiming the Gospel of Life?
2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
A complacent Christian is unwilling to share the Gospel of Life. He or she may believe that there is no point to spreading such a Gospel since the world seems to be such a lost cause. Violence and death seem to be all around us.
St. Paul speaks of another type of Christian who is reluctant to spread the Good News. The cowardly Christian does not believe he or she is equipped to share the Gospel of Christ. This stands contrary to the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers all Christians to be stewards for life. St. Paul says, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”
St. Paul blessed his disciples and said, “Stir into flame the gift that you have though the imposition of my hands.” Those of us who have celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation have been empowered – stirred into flame – through the imposition of hands by our bishop to share the Gospel of Christ without fear. Jesus said it plainly, “fear is useless.” If we are cowardly, we are resisting the Holy Spirit.
Question:
In what way are you resisting the fire and power of the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel of Life?
Gospel: Luke 17:5-10
It has been said that we should never ask God for more patience, because he will then give us more crosses in order to put our increased patience
to work. Rather, we should use the patience that God has given to us wisely and purposefully.
In the same way, if we ask the Lord to “increase our faith,” Jesus will respond as he did in our Gospel for this Sunday: “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.”
Whether we ask for more patience or for more faith, we are making up excuses for why we cannot be servants of the Lord: “I’m not equipped yet to serve the Lord.”
The complacent and the cowardly will always find reasons for not
being authentically Christian. However, an authentic Christian accepts that the Gospel must be shared from where he or she stands right now. Authentic Christians say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” Authentic Christians do not wait until tomorrow, or until they have a successful career, or until they make it rich, or until their faith and patience increase. They spread the Gospel now!
Question:
Are you waiting for the right time to share the Gospel of Life?
This Week’s Task
Take this time to discover a Gospel of Life program or movement in your parish. Ask your pastor for some direction on how to join a group.
You may also want to consider joining a prayer walk or prayer chain to bring awareness to Right to Life issues.
Group Prayer
St. John Paul II said, “The one who accepted “Life” in the name of all and for the sake of all was Mary, the Virgin Mother; she is thus most closely and personally associated with the Gospel of life.” Following this
thought, the group is invited to pray the
Hail Mary.
Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death Amen.
The prayer continues with Psalm 95.
Psalm
Response: 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.
Conclude with an Our Father