Twenty Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time Year C
Readings: Hb 1:2-3,2:2-4; 2 Tim 1:6-8,13-14; Lk 17:5-10
Comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable and
proclaiming the sanctity of human life are some the phrases that capture best
the theme of this Sunday. Habakkuk’s society in the first reading was not all
that much different from ours, where violence and power are glorified and the
vulnerable are destroyed or kept in their place. Since 1972, the first Sunday
of October has been designated by the Church as Respect Life Sunday, also known
as Sanctity of Life Sunday. We are all challenged by the very context that
denies the sanctity of human life while promoting a culture of death. Violence
is all around us and played daily on our TV screens. Today we join the prophet Habakkuk
in asking God, “How Long, O Lord, I cry out to you, ‘Violence,’ but you do not
intervene.” Habakkuk’s prayer is answered by the Lord indirectly. He is told to
write the vision down, it is certainly going to happen, you can record it even
before it takes place. Do not despair. God will ultimately 'transform evil into
good. "The vision has its time; it will happen."
In the second reading, Paul reminding Timothy of “the gift of
God” that he received, exhorts him to bear witness with courage and present the
faith with clarity. That implies that we first of all need strong faith and
trust in God. “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of
power, love and self-control (discipline). So do not be ashamed of your
testimony to our Lord, but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with
strength that comes from God.” The Gospel reading starts as a genuine prayer of
the apostles - Lord "increase our faith". The apostles realized that
faith was a gift from God, for no one can earn or buy it. Without directly
responding to the request of the apostles, Jesus used the image of uprooting a
tree through the incredible power of faith. The tree is an image of the status quo of violence and destruction of
human life. With the smallest amount of faith – the size of a mustard seed -
one can uproot a large tree like the mulberry tree (with long roots). Jesus
exaggerates to make the point that genuine faith has a transforming power for
us and for the world. If we are faithfully united to Christ, we can be
transformed into more effective instruments of the Lord in transforming the
culture of death into a culture of life. As faithful disciples, we are
challenged to make our choice: to serve Jesus Christ or to remain indifferent.
The message may be summed up in a few points. 1) The readings underline the
transforming power of faith when put into action; 2) We must not despair. God
will ultimately 'transform evil into good. "The vision has its time; it
will happen". 3) The readings challenge us to give witness in a secular
culture of death and destruction of human life by promoting a culture of life;
by being lovers of life ourselves. This may mean marching together to the State
Capital to express our conviction against legalization of abortion; it may mean
sticking out our heads on the firing line for our faith or risking the
possibility of persecution and even death. 4) We can choose to remain
indifferent or choose to testify to a culture of life that respects the sanctity
of all human life from its very beginning to its end by natural death. Think
about it I a Msgr. John Mbinda. God bless you.
©2013 John S. Mbinda
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