29th 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. We pray that we will respond to our calling to be Stewards of Your creation and respect and cherish life in all its forms. Amen.
Commentary
1st Reading: Exodus 17:8-13
We have seen that a life of complacency, cowardliness, and ingratitude stands in the way of true stewardship. We have also seen that a constant turn to the Lord with continued praise and thanksgiving signals the authentic Christian Steward.
This week, we focus on the power of persistent prayer as a key to overcome the world that stands against the Gospel of Life. We know that God is the source of life, the sustainer of life, and the giver of life eternal. It is for this reason, we must turn to God in prayer daily and without interruption.
We are not the giver and sustainer of life. And so we must turn to God in prayer. We must pray always. Our pray cannot be intermittent. It must be constant. The image of Moses keeping his hands raised up – even with the help of Aaron and Hur – shows that God is in charge of our earthly battles. Joshua is fighting the battle, but it is God – through Moses’ intercession – who wins the war. God is in charge; yet He expects us to be stewards (to have a hand in his works) through prayer and intercession. God expects us to intercede for the world. With Christ as our lead, we forever pray for the world.
Question:
In what way do you pray for the world?
2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2
As we come to the close of these 6 weeks, we see the urgency for Christians to step up their way of life in Christ. No longer can we be complacent, cowardly, ungrateful, or lacking in prayer. St. Paul reminds us to “remain faithful” to what we have “learned and believed.” We must “be persistent” in this faith; “whether it is convenient or inconvenient.”
The truth is that it is hardly ever convenient to remain faithful to the Gospel and to be Stewards for Life. For this reason, many good Christian will become slack in their faith. They are like good seed that falls on rocky soil. They fail to become rooted in their faith and are unable to produce fruit.
Faith takes work. It is not for the weak.
St. Paul, who ran the good race and fought the good fight, charges us to be equally persistent in our faith. He reminds us that we will be judged one day on our ability to be persistent. The question is, “Will we find ourselves among the living or the dead when the judgement day comes?”
Question:
In what way are you persistent in your faith?
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8
This Gospel complements our first reading. Praying without growing weary is the challenge set before us.
Of course, as we recall, Moses had the help of Aaron and Hur as he prayed. Thankfully, we have the help of our Church as we pray to the Lord as well. We do not have to do this alone. To be stewards for life and proclaim the Gospel of Life, we must pray and be supported in prayer by God’s people.
We have all heard people say that they do not need religion or the Church to know, love, and serve the Lord. This is a great lie. We all need each other. “No man is an island.”
As stewards, we must pray. However, God never said that we have to pray alone. In the early Church, Christian gathered daily to break bread together and worship the Lord. Together, they interceded for each other and for the world. The Christian Church still does this today.
We need each other to shore up our faith. It is easy to grow weary in prayer. To pray without becoming weary requires support. The support of others through Christ in Our Neighborhood, through parish prayer groups, and through regular celebrations of the Sacraments – especially the Eucharist – keep our hands lifted in prayer as we face this troubled world.
Question:
Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” If we support each other in prayer, he will. How are you helping others in their prayer life?
This Week’s Task
Reach out to someone and let them know that you are praying for them. You may want to ask them to join you as you pay a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Or, you may want to offer a Mass intention for someone who is in need of your prayerful support.
Group Prayer
The leader of the group passes a cross around the room. As each member of the group holds the cross, he/she shares a prayer for a loved one. The cross is passed again and each member offers to God a prayer of
thanksgiving.
The prayer continues with Psalm 121.
Psalm
Response: Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R: Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps
the guardian of Israel.
R: Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian;
the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R: Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R: Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Conclude with an Our Father