Reflection for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
The lectionary translation of the readings for this Sunday can be found HERE.
1st Reading:
Exodus 17:8–13
Our selection today is the story of the battle between the Israelites and Amalek which took place while the Israelites were wandering in the desert. The Staff of God, which Moses has, is the staff he had at the burning bush. Remember that he complained to God that no one would listen to him and God showed him, by turning the staff into a snake and back, that he, God, would do the mighty works. Since that time it was called the Staff of God. In today’s selection, the staff is used to defeat Amalek.
2nd Reading:
2 Timothy 3:14–4:2
We skip ahead, from the selection we had last week, to the end of a section in which Paul is warning Timothy against false teachings. In our selection, he tells him to be faithful as he describes the value of Scripture.
Gospel:
Luke 18:1–8
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Lk 18:7-8
Setting & Parallels:
This parable only occurs in Luke. This comes after Jesus talks about the second coming and the suffering he must suffer. He is talking to his disciples. This parable also refers to the second coming. This is the first of two parables on prayer. The other follows immediately.
Signal Words/Phrases:
Pray always; without becoming weary; Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says; will he find faith on earth.
Verse by Verse:
Lk 18:1 “…pray always without becoming weary” | The UBS Handbook on the Gospel of Luke says that what we translate as “without becoming weary” means without losing heart, without becoming discouraged or without giving up, without losing hope. Always, here, means persistently, not continuously.
Lk 18:5 “…lest she finally come and strike me.” | The UBS Handbook suggests that because the Greek is written in the present tense, it suggest duration and the more appropriate translation would be “lest she wear me out.” The Luke Timothy Johnson Bible Commentary points out that the Greek we translate as “strike me”, means “give me a black eye.” He states that it could mean “damage my reputation.”
Lk 18:6 “…Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.” | This does not mean to imitate the judge but to note how he is thinking. His way of thinking will be contrasted to the way God acts in the following verses.
Lk 18:8b “…will he find faith on earth?” | Faith here does not mean faith in concepts but faith in Jesus. When he comes, will he find people waiting for the second coming, trusting that the promise is true? Or, will people have given up?
What the 1st hearers heard:
The first hearers couldn’t have known Jesus was preparing them for his passion and death. But, they must have picked up on his concern from the construction of the Greek we translate as “will he find faith on earth.” The way it is written implies worry.
What would change if our community really heard this Gospel?
People would understand that hope and trust are parts of the concept of faith. People would turn to prayer rather than negative emotional responses.
What is the good news in this Gospel?
God does answer prayers.
Gospel Reflection
Missionaries of Hope
As you probably know, this Sunday is World Mission Sunday. It occurs annually on the second to the last Sunday of October. The late Pope Francis provided the theme for this year’s celebration, “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples”, and explained that all Christians are called to be “messengers and builders of hope.”
Oftentimes, World Mission Sunday is simply all about a special collection to fund worldwide missionary activities. But it should be about more than simply funding missionary activities. It should be about our call to be missionary disciples.
We are all sent on mission; that’s what the Mass is about in the first place. We are called to not be just a people who go to church but a Church who goes to people. And as Pope Francis said, we are all to be messengers and builders of hope. Today’s Gospel is all about hope and our world needs hope now, more than ever.
First a word about being sent. In Latin, the Mass ends with announcement “Ite, missa est” and the response “Deo gratias.” There have been many discussions over the years concerning the meaning of Ite, missa est. We’ve been saying it since the fifth century and it is now normally translated to mean “The Mass is ended.”
But, the Latin literally means “It is sent.” St Thomas Aquinas said it meant that the sacrifice has been sent up to God through the angels. This is made somewhat obvious in Eucharistic Prayer I when the priest bows down, crosses himself and asks that the offering be taken to God by the angels.
Pope Benedict XIV, from the seventeen hundreds, not the Benedict XVI we knew from the two thousands, said it implied that the people are being sent on mission. This coincides with St Augustine’s teaching that by receiving communion we are incorporated into the body of Christ. You see, the “it” which Ite, missa est is talking about being sent is the Body of Christ. If we have been incorporated into the Body of Christ, then we are being sent along with our Lord.
O.K., so we are being sent, but what does the Gospel have to say about us being messengers of hope? Well, that is another translation problem. You see, when the Gospel tells us to pray without becoming weary, it doesn’t mean without becoming tired, like it sounds. A better translation of the Greek might be “without becoming discouraged” or “without losing hope.” And, as we’ve said, that’s our mission; hang in there, trust that God will bring about goodness, trust that our faith will be vindicated.
That is the message of this Gospel, don’t lose hope. In the world that we live in today, it’s too easy to lose hope, to get discouraged, to put our faith into something other than God. If we pray persistently, always believing that God will provide the answer, it will change us and protect us from falling into the pit that is the chaos of our times.
People will notice that we, somehow, have not fallen into the pit. They’ll notice that we live in peace in the midst of the chaos, and they will want that too. That’s how we live out our mission. It’s as simple as that. We must become prophetic signs of God’s faithful love, and show others that they can live in peace too.
God bless you all…
Personal Reflection:
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Lk 18:7-8
Question:
What words or phrases attracted your attention during the Liturgy of the Word on Sunday? What connection do those words or phrases have to your day-to-day life? (Why do you think they attracted your attention?) What might God be trying to say to you through these words or phrases? What response should you make? What action should you take?
Alternative:
Reflect upon/Share about how you are affected by the divisions in our society today. What emotions are you feeling? How do you deal with what is going on? What can you do about it? What can you do to keep from getting drawn in to the turmoil?
