First Reading – Habakkuk
1:2-3, 2:2-4 ©
Responsorial Psalm -
Psalm 94(95):1-2, 6-9
Second Reading - 2
Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 ©
Gospel Acclamation – 1
Samuel 3:9, John 6:68
Alternative Acclamation –
1 Peter 1:25
The Gospel According to Luke
17:5 - 10 ©
Listen!
We
are guaranteed nothing in this life; neither justice nor injustice, though we
may reasonably expected a share of each, there is no certainty. Be just toward
all those you meet, and seek to do no harm.
God
is not a mover of people, save by the pull of grace and love; a force like
gravity, by which God calls every one of God’s children. It pull on us, though
we are free to ignore, and even when we recognize it, most of us often do.
God
is the creator of the universe, the cause of all that is. God made each of us
free, the entire creation is free.
In
our capacity as free agents we must work out our own justice.
Be
mindful, we only have the power to be just to one other, we cannot seize
justice for ourselves.
You
will not be the cause of your salvation.
It
is God who makes us well, who creates in us the possibility of wellbeing.
God
is our wellbeing, and its final realization is not of this world.
Do
not look for salvation in this world, it will not come from kings and princes,
from popes or presidents.
God
is not a king, and there are no other gods.
All
of creation belongs to the creator, all that is beautiful and everything that
frightens us, all things comes from God, and everything redound to the good.
God
has prepared each of us for God’s blessing.
Consider
the faith of Timothy
These
are the words of political prisoner, exhorting us to faith and reminding us of
our heritage; belonging to a tradition that places service to others over
individual liberty.
Not
everyone can follow the way to the end that Timothy did, or Jesus. They are the
leaders of the faith, they point the way to the blessed life; a life that is
just and merciful and good.
Be
like Timothy if you can, follow the way of Jesus as well as you are able, but
do not despair if you fail.
You
will fail, and God will continue to love you.
When
leaders rise among us. We must acknowledge them. When leadership is pure and we
see that their work is holy, we must acknowledge that.
In
acknowledging these things it is important to not embellish.
Remember:
God
speaks to all people. God, the creator of the universe, God speaks in the human
heart. God is present for anyone who will listen, but God does not favor some
over others, and God does not appear in visions.
God
leads us in silence, except in the rhythm of the heart, the tug and pull of our
conscience as it resonates with the good.
Here
is the Gospel; God loves you, and you are saved. You are not saved for anything
that you have done, you did not earn it, you are saved because God loves you.
The
promise of salvation is not that you will be spared from suffering and torment
in hell, or that when you are judged God will forgive you.
Share
the word!
God
has already forgiven you. You are already saved.
If
you feel unworthy, stop. God has a plan for you.
God
has prepared you and everyone for eternal life.
Believe
it!
Let
the goodness of the promise flow through you now, and start living this life as
if it were true.
Do
not be concerned with creeds and confessions, with decrees and decretals, or
the doctrine of the church, those do not save.
Right
belief does not save.
We
are not called to believe in the idea that Jesus is this or that, the Holy One
of God, we are called to act on the principles of his faith, to live lives of
charity and service to each other.
Share
the Gospel, share the good news.
Be
mindful!
Pay
close attention to the Gospel, especially on those occasions when the message
is cryptic, or the meaning of the parable is unclear.
Interpret
these passages from the middle of the way;
interpret them through the lens of love, with hope and justice.
Faith
means trust, it is not magic. Our faith is neither the content of our beliefs,
neither can it be measured for quality, quantity, or intensity.
Faith
is trust, which a person either has or does not have.
If
we trust in the promise of the Gospel, if we trust in the good news that Jesus
preached, then we may be able to free ourselves from greed and corruption, from
the class-consciousness that foments injustice around the world.
In
the Gospel for today we see Jesus rebuke the disciples, who then became the Apostles
of the church. He rebuked them because he knew where their hearts were, and the
spiritual poverty they were beset with, he knew that they are using their
position in the community of believers to place themselves in positions of
authority and influence over the average believer.
He
rebuked them because they had abandoned the way, and he encouraged them to
return to the place of the servant.
Jesus
responded to their error with love, he did not reject them, he gave them
further instruction, and he comforted them.
First Reading – Habakkuk 1:2-3,
2:2-4 ©
The Upright Man Will Live
by His Faithfulness
How
long, O Lord, am I to cry for help while you will not listen; to cry
‘Oppression!’ in your ear
and
you will not save?
Why
do you set injustice before me, why do you look on where there is tyranny?
Outrage
and violence, this is all I see, all is contention, and discord flourishes.
Then
the Lord answered and said, ‘Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to
be easily read,
since
this vision is for its own time only: eager for its own fulfilment, it does not
deceive; if it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without fail.
See
how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights, but the upright man will live by
his faithfulness.’
Psalm - Psalm 94(95):1-2,
6-9
LORD,
avenging God, avenging God, shine forth!
Rise
up, O judge of the earth; give the proud what they deserve!
They
kill the widow and alien; the orphan they murder.
They
say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.”
Understand,
you stupid people! You fools, when will you be wise?
Does
the one who shaped the ear not hear? The one who formed the eye not see?
Second Reading - 2
Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 ©
Never Be Ashamed of Witnessing
to Our Lord
I
am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my
hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power,
and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the
Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships
for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God.
Keep
as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and
love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look after something
precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Gospel Acclamation – 1 Samuel
3:9, John 6:68
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak,
Lord, your servant is listening:
you
have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Alternative Acclamation –
1 Peter 1:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
The
word of the Lord remains for ever.
What
is this word?
It
is the Good News that has been brought to you.
Alleluia!
The Gospel According to Luke
17:5 - 10 ©
Say, 'We Are Merely Servants'
The
apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your
faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted
and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.
‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or
minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and
have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper
laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and
drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what
he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say,
“We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’
27th Sunday in
Ordinary Time (Year C)
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