Cycle C

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” are Our Lord’s prophetic words at the end of today’s Gospel, and we have to ask ourselves: is that a rhetorical question? They are prophetic words because, by referring to himself as the Son of Man, he is referring to his return in glory. If it were rhetorical it would mean that he was just putting a little melodramatic foreshadowing into his discourse and doesn’t really mean what he’s saying. The only problem with that theory is that his question comes at the end of his discourse. Rhetorical questions usually come at the beginning of one. These words should cut right to our hearts. We know Our Lord means what he says: he is saying we must do our part.

This weekend we celebrate World Mission Sunday by remembering in our liturgy all those generous Christians who bring the faith to the corners of the world where the Gospel hasn’t yet arrived. When we survey the faith in our world, we see that the mission fields are not just in remote islands or distant continents full of strange tribes and peoples: they are in our own society, our own homes, even our own families. So we come together in the liturgy and raise up our prayers on behalf of the People of God, like Moses did in the today’s First Reading. Does Christ find faith on earth? We hope to answer yes with our worship and our lives. “Will he find faith on earth?” is his invitation for us to see the mission field to which he has called each of us. It’s not necessarily in far off continents or distant cultures; it is right at our doorstep. Some people say that the two things you should never talk about are politics and religion. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Pope Pius XII’s encyclical on missions, entitled Fidei Donum – the gift of faith. As Pius XII said,

“it is faith that allows us to draw near to the hidden mysteries of the divine life; it is faith that encourages us to hope for everlasting happiness; it is faith that strengthens and consolidates the unity of the Christian society in this transitory life, according to the Apostle: ‘One Lord, one faith, one Baptism.’ It is chiefly by reason of this divine gift that our grateful hearts of their own accord pour forth this testimony: ‘What shall I render to the Lord for all that he hath rendered unto me?’”

When someone gives you a gift, you talk about it, you even share it, don’t you? If you don’t, what does that say about the gift or what you think of the giver? Missionary work starts right in our own hearts by accepting the gift of faith that Christ has given us. It means letting that faith influence our outlook, our lives, our actions and decisions. Missionaries receive the gift of faith before they can go out and share it, or else they go out with empty hands and hearts, if they go out at all. I remember long ago, when my priestly vocation was just a thought in the back corner of my mind, I was having lunch with a Protestant co-worker, and how struck I was by his saying grace at meals. Something so simple. Sometimes I relish when I’m having a phone conversation with someone who doesn’t know I’m a priest: calling the post office or something, and when I end the conversation with a “God bless.” there’s an awkward pause, and then “um, same to you; or thank you; have a nice day.” Wishing God’s blessing on someone is never something that just stays at the level of polite conversation.

Does society find faith today as the judge in today’s Gospel parable found it in the widow? Her persistence made an impact. Even though that judge feared neither God nor man, by the persistence of that widow he knew he had to judge justly in her case. You notice he, as thick-skinned as he was, didn’t say simply that he would decide in her favor. He said he wouldn’t rig the trial: he said he would judge justly on her behalf. The Church in many ways and in many fields reminds the world today of its rights, but also of its obligations. We know that there are important truths related to the Gospel message that everyone can understand: the dignity of each human person in every phase of their life, the importance of the family, good friendships, and solidarity to help promote a family of nations. All that has come to light thanks to the gift of faith we’ve received. If we do not get the word out, they won’t hear it from anyone else. It takes convincing and persistence, just like the widow.

The battle for the world’s soul today is much like Moses, arms upraised, in today’s First Reading. With the staff of God, the authority of God, in his hands, Moses keeps his arms upraised in prayer, and Joshua and the Israelites triumph over the Amalekites. But when he tires, Amalek gains the upper hand. We are grateful to God for the Pope and all the bishops who ceaselessly raise their arms in prayer for the people of God in battle for the world’s soul. They count on us. Aaron, the high priest of Israel, like the priests and clergy, and Hur, a leader of the people, one of the elders who helped Moses govern the people, bring him a rock to sit on, and then support his arms because they know he can’t do it alone. Everyone united in prayer and work has to strive to win the Promised Land: eternal life.

Let’s ask Our Lord today for the grace to keep united in prayer and work to share this great gift of the faith he’s given us. Let’s ask for the grace to keep the little ways of showing that – saying grace before meals, praying the rosary together as a family, spending time with him – in our homes and families. Let’s ask to not be afraid of sharing our faith with others. Let’s ask for vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and the missions, and and for the light and strength to be his missionaries in whatever walk of life to which he’s called us.

Readings: Exodus 17:8–13; Psalm 121:1–8; 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2; Luke 18:1–8. See also 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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In today’s readings we have two people who’ve received healing from God and recognize the need to thank him, and nine who should know better and don’t. Naaman is so grateful for being healed of his leprosy that he wants to take some of the Promised Land back home to Syria with him. Before we were baptized we too were spiritually unclean. It was not our fault, like all lepers, but we were spiritually sick and rotting nonetheless. Just as Naaman washed himself in the Jordan we washed ourselves at the Baptismal fount and were made spiritually clean, our sins washed away. Just as Naaman took a little of the Promised Land with him to always remember to whom he owed his healing, our Promised Land, the seed of eternal life, is sown in Baptism and remains with us as long as we don’t forget and act against the gift we received.

The Samaritan in today’s Gospel went back to Our Lord when he realized he was clean. The fact that he is a Samaritan makes it even more astounding: Jews wanted nothing to do with Samaritans, and vice versa. They had their own worship and he would have probably returned to his own people to be certified clean, just as the other nine, if they were Jews, would go to the Temple so that the priests, as required by Mosaic Law, certified their healing. Yet the nine, despite all they’d received, didn’t thank Our Lord. Ingratitude hurts, and these men has as much for which to be thankful as the Samaritan and Naaman did. Just as the Rich Young Man turned away from Our Lord and drifted from anonymity to oblivion in the Gospel account, so these nine are only remembered for what the Lord did for them, for their lack of gratitude, and for the grace of God that they let pass by: friendship with Christ.

Every one of us has been healed in Baptism. Are we grateful? Like Naaman our gratitude should not be a one-time thing. It should become an attitude that we translated into unceasing praise and worship. Let’s recall the wonders Our Lord has worked today and renew our gratitude and praise for all he has done for each one of us.

Readings: 2 Kings 5:14–17; Psalm 98:1–4; 2 Timothy 2:8–13; Luke 17:11–19. See also 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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A common thread of today’s readings is that the Lord’s disciples, old and new, are looking for more of what they need in order to fulfill their mission, perhaps discouraged by a lack of immediate results. Habakkuk in the First Reading is lamenting the injustice he sees and unanswered prayers for the Lord to do something about it. Timothy receives a letter of encouragement from his mentor Paul, who is in prison, to be brave and re-stoke the flame of zeal that he received at ordination; Timothy has big shoes to fill, and Paul whom he esteems greatly, is now in prison. The disciples ask for more faith and Our Lord responses that even a little faith would go a long way; the apostles are asking for more faith because the little faith they have doesn’t seem to be enough to do their job.

It’s the parable that follows where Our Lord puts things into perspective. The servant doesn’t expect some special reward for just doing his job; he just does it. Faith is our action and our struggle and it is only with prayer and effort that it grows. Our Lord invites us today to focus on our mission, not the imagined resources we may be lacking. Habakkuk is told to write down his prophecies and thanks to that we now have them. Timothy is told to be a good shepherd of souls and the Church, thanks to him, continued to grow. The apostles are told to do their duty expecting nothing but the satisfaction of a job well done, and we all have the apostles to thank for receiving the faith. The prophecies were fulfilled in Christ and the Gospel has triumphed in so many lives and will continue to do so.

Whatever your state of life–laity, consecrated, ordained–focus on how you can best serve Our Lord right here, right now, with the resources, spiritual and material, that you have at your disposal and Our Lord will ensure that you succeed.

Readings: Habakkuk 1:2–3, 2:2–4; Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9; 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14; Luke 17:5–10. See also 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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Today’s readings are an invitation that go far beyond the fashionable pastime of bashing on the rich in the face of the world’s needs and problems. The rich man in today’s Gospel converted too late, but his late conversion should be a lesson for us to consider that one day we may too hear those dreaded words, “too little, too late.” It doesn’t take a fortune to be complacent.

There may be people in the world who live in plush mansions with everything they could want, but the rich are not the only people in society today endangered by abundance. There are lots of couch potatoes out there who are parked on their sofas when there is something they can do to help make the world a better place. The poor are not just at the gates of mansions; they’re in our towns and neighborhoods. It is our society that runs the risk of falling apart. Each of us can take inventory of the plenty with which the Lord has blessed us and ask him how we can use that plenty in a way pleasing to him. A surplus of time, talent, or treasure should never stay a surplus for long, otherwise we run the risk of drowning in our abundance due to our complacency and apathy.

Let’s ask Our Lord today to give us the nudge to get off our sofas and help shape society for the better.

Readings: Amos 6:1a, 4–7; Psalm 146:7–10; 1 Timothy 6:11–16; Luke 16:19–31. See also 2nd Week of Lent, Thursday.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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The Pharisees and scribes criticize Jesus in the Gospel today because he is spending time with people who are sinners: tax collectors, who robbed them by charging unfair taxes and serving the Romans, who were mean to them and sinners, who did bad things and did not come to worship at the Temple. So Jesus asks the Pharisees and scribes to think of how happy they would be if they lost something valuable to them and then found it again.

Imagine if you lost your spending money for this week, and after searching and searching your locker you give up and take your books to class and there it is, stuck between two books! Wouldn’t you be happy?

Imagine if you lost your cat and you searched for hours and hours and came home sad and suddenly heard him scratching at the door to be let in. Wouldn’t you be happy?

Now imagine if it were your brother or sister or aunt or someone in your family. You would never stop looking. Never. You would always be waiting to hear from them.

In Heaven God knows that sinners are lost, and he wants to find them so badly, but they hide from him and go far away from him, just like the son in the Gospel today. And just like the Father of the Prodigal Son, God waits and waits for them to come back. Our Lord teaches us that all of Heaven shouts for joy when a sinner is found and comes back and gets on the road to Heaven again. Our Lord goes to the sinners in the Gospel today because if he doesn’t help them find God the Father again they will never find him. Like the son today in the Gospel, they go far away and become poor and sad, but when they come back, sorry for what they have done, all of Heaven is happy and God takes them back in as if nothing had happened.

When we do bad things, all we have to do is say we’re sorry and ask God to forgive us. We can come to confession for the big things, and for the little things of every day, all we have to do is come to him in our hearts and tell him we’re sorry. When we hurt others, it is so hard to say we are sorry, but when we don’t, we are left poor, alone, and lonely, because it is like we have left someone in our family. The other son in the Gospel today didn’t want to forgive his brother, and look how angry and alone he was.

Let’s ask Our Lord today for the grace to always have the love and humility to say we are sorry to those we hurt by our actions, and for the grace to live like true brothers and sisters.

Readings: Exodus 32:7–11, 13–14; Psalm 51:3–4, 12–13, 17, 19; 1 Timothy 1:12–17; Luke 15:1–32. See also 4th Sunday of Lent, Cycle C, 2nd Week of Lent, Saturday, and 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday.