Homily Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C. - Sunday, October 20, 2019
First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13.
Psalm: Ps 120. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:2.
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word of God is living and active. It probes the thoughts and motives of our heart.
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8.
Psalm: Ps 120. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:2.
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word of God is living and active. It probes the thoughts and motives of our heart.
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8.
Photo Credit: image by Reystleen. Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 21918460. Old door knocker with ladies hand.
+++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C . Mission Sunday - Sunday, October 20, 2019, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/29c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-182/s-YtxUT (EPISODE: 182)
+++++
Prologue: Pray constantly, and never lose hope. This is the ever-relevant message from the Lord. And meditate on the Word of God as necessary nourishment for faith. As I have mentioned previously. God always answers our prayers… always. But sometimes, for reasons we cannot see with our limited human perspective, the answer is sometimes a loving but firm NO. But, when we pray, God bends our minds and hearts to his will and keeps us close to him. He promises to be faithful to us and have the last word in everything..
++
Our Lord is encouraging us to keep trusting and hoping in God… and always knowing and truly believing that (come what may), God wants only our good…..
Jesus wants us to go on continuing to trust in God … and believing in God's goodness……and that God loves us like an unconditionally loving, doting parent … and to walk always in hope and keep praying for all that is good…. God will be faithful to us now and into eternity…
The second reading is great too. St Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures are excellent for leading a good life, and are wonderful touchstones to the values that make a good disciple. Every human insight, philosophy, value, or world view need to be tested against the message and values of the Scriptures and put under the spotlight of Christ's message. So, it is really SURPRISING AND disappointing to read a recent survey conducted in Britain revealed that only a third of Catholics surveyed, considered that the Bible is very important to their faith.
That is an astounding and incomprehensible result, considering, as the second reading says today, the Bible is the foundation stone which holds the living word of God, and which chronicles God's constant relationship with his beloved people from the earliest times until the coming of Christ and commissioning his disciples to continue his work through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just 34 per cent of Catholics in that survey thought that the Bible is "extremely important" to the Catholic faith, and 41 per cent are "not sure where to begin with the Bible". Almost half – (45 per cent) - said they didn't have enough time to read the Bible and the vast majority - 84 per cent - said they encounter the Bible most when hearing it in Church. More encouragingly, 53 per cent of Catholics said they read the Bible daily.
St Paul reminds us, the study of the Scripture trains a person in integrity until that person is equipped for every good work. Here is a key point. The study of the Scriptures must never be selfish, never simply for the good of a person's own soul. Any conversion which makes a person think of nothing but the fact that they, themselves have been saved is not a true and full conversion to fullness of the Gospel of the Lord. We study the Scriptures so that we can be useful instruments for God and for our brothers and sisters. And the first reading reminds us there are different types of action in the Christian community… including the fieldwork and also just as importantly the prayer and intercession work of so many …. And also those who help lift up, support and sustain all who are praying and interceding too…. So many different roles, all for the work of the Kingdom. Christians understand that our salvation is caught up with the sense that we belong to a "People of God"….. and that we are to be passionate about the salvation of everyone around us as much as our own.**
In this week's gospel, Our Lord tells this parable not with the intention of comparing The Heavenly Father with a grasping and selfish judge. Quite the contrary! Our Lord wishes to contrast God the Father with earthly judges. The basic point is: "If, in the end, even an unjust and greedy judge can be wearied into giving a poor widow justice, how much more will God, who is a loving Father, give his children what they truly need?"
The irony of the gospel this weekend is, that there is no need to keep repeating our requests as if we think God will be worn down and eventually give in to us, just to get us out of his hair. No. God is love. God cares for us and our real needs. God hears us in our need and response with love and compassion. If there are delays in response, it is not out of lack of care or from not hearing.
The interesting thing about this gospel is the judge in this parable is clearly not a Jewish Judge. They had three judges to rule on a decision. So, this was a Roman judge, often known for their corruption. They were known as (to paraphrase another language and for ease of description) "Judgers of Robbers," but the locals jokingly nicknamed the "Robber Judges." You couldn't get justice unless you paid them a bribe or could do them a favour. The poor widow had no influence and no money. All she had was persistence and she kept calling for justice. Even a corrupt and greedy judge gave in and gave her justice not because he cared and not because he respected God but just to get rid of her. So, God is going to hear our needs with love as soon as we ask them and we can trust in this.##
"Having said this, there is no reason why we should expect to get whatever we pray for. Our Lord constantly commended us to see God as a truly loving father. We know that often a loving parent has to regretfully refuse the request of a child, even a persistent son or daughter because the parent KNOWS that what the child asks would hurt rather than help. God is like that. We do not know what is to happen in the next hour, let alone the next week, or month, or year. Only God sees the whole picture, and, so, only God knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Our Lord said we must never be discouraged in prayer. That is why he wondered if people's faith would stand the long delays before the return of the Son of Man.##
"However, we will never grow weary in prayer, and our faith will never falter if, after we have offered to God our prayers and requests, we add the perfect ending to every prayer as shown by the example of Christ's own prayer life and teaching… by always ending every prayer with: "however, not my will be done, O Lord, but yours!"##
+++++
References:
##THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. WILLIAM BARCLAY. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
**THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE LETTERS TO TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND PHILEMON. WILLIAM BARCLAY. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
Fr Paul W. Kelly
+++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C . Mission Sunday - Sunday, October 20, 2019, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/29c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-182/s-YtxUT (EPISODE: 182)
+++++
Prologue: Pray constantly, and never lose hope. This is the ever-relevant message from the Lord. And meditate on the Word of God as necessary nourishment for faith. As I have mentioned previously. God always answers our prayers… always. But sometimes, for reasons we cannot see with our limited human perspective, the answer is sometimes a loving but firm NO. But, when we pray, God bends our minds and hearts to his will and keeps us close to him. He promises to be faithful to us and have the last word in everything..
++
Our Lord is encouraging us to keep trusting and hoping in God… and always knowing and truly believing that (come what may), God wants only our good…..
Jesus wants us to go on continuing to trust in God … and believing in God's goodness……and that God loves us like an unconditionally loving, doting parent … and to walk always in hope and keep praying for all that is good…. God will be faithful to us now and into eternity…
The second reading is great too. St Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures are excellent for leading a good life, and are wonderful touchstones to the values that make a good disciple. Every human insight, philosophy, value, or world view need to be tested against the message and values of the Scriptures and put under the spotlight of Christ's message. So, it is really SURPRISING AND disappointing to read a recent survey conducted in Britain revealed that only a third of Catholics surveyed, considered that the Bible is very important to their faith.
That is an astounding and incomprehensible result, considering, as the second reading says today, the Bible is the foundation stone which holds the living word of God, and which chronicles God's constant relationship with his beloved people from the earliest times until the coming of Christ and commissioning his disciples to continue his work through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just 34 per cent of Catholics in that survey thought that the Bible is "extremely important" to the Catholic faith, and 41 per cent are "not sure where to begin with the Bible". Almost half – (45 per cent) - said they didn't have enough time to read the Bible and the vast majority - 84 per cent - said they encounter the Bible most when hearing it in Church. More encouragingly, 53 per cent of Catholics said they read the Bible daily.
St Paul reminds us, the study of the Scripture trains a person in integrity until that person is equipped for every good work. Here is a key point. The study of the Scriptures must never be selfish, never simply for the good of a person's own soul. Any conversion which makes a person think of nothing but the fact that they, themselves have been saved is not a true and full conversion to fullness of the Gospel of the Lord. We study the Scriptures so that we can be useful instruments for God and for our brothers and sisters. And the first reading reminds us there are different types of action in the Christian community… including the fieldwork and also just as importantly the prayer and intercession work of so many …. And also those who help lift up, support and sustain all who are praying and interceding too…. So many different roles, all for the work of the Kingdom. Christians understand that our salvation is caught up with the sense that we belong to a "People of God"….. and that we are to be passionate about the salvation of everyone around us as much as our own.**
In this week's gospel, Our Lord tells this parable not with the intention of comparing The Heavenly Father with a grasping and selfish judge. Quite the contrary! Our Lord wishes to contrast God the Father with earthly judges. The basic point is: "If, in the end, even an unjust and greedy judge can be wearied into giving a poor widow justice, how much more will God, who is a loving Father, give his children what they truly need?"
The irony of the gospel this weekend is, that there is no need to keep repeating our requests as if we think God will be worn down and eventually give in to us, just to get us out of his hair. No. God is love. God cares for us and our real needs. God hears us in our need and response with love and compassion. If there are delays in response, it is not out of lack of care or from not hearing.
The interesting thing about this gospel is the judge in this parable is clearly not a Jewish Judge. They had three judges to rule on a decision. So, this was a Roman judge, often known for their corruption. They were known as (to paraphrase another language and for ease of description) "Judgers of Robbers," but the locals jokingly nicknamed the "Robber Judges." You couldn't get justice unless you paid them a bribe or could do them a favour. The poor widow had no influence and no money. All she had was persistence and she kept calling for justice. Even a corrupt and greedy judge gave in and gave her justice not because he cared and not because he respected God but just to get rid of her. So, God is going to hear our needs with love as soon as we ask them and we can trust in this.##
"Having said this, there is no reason why we should expect to get whatever we pray for. Our Lord constantly commended us to see God as a truly loving father. We know that often a loving parent has to regretfully refuse the request of a child, even a persistent son or daughter because the parent KNOWS that what the child asks would hurt rather than help. God is like that. We do not know what is to happen in the next hour, let alone the next week, or month, or year. Only God sees the whole picture, and, so, only God knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Our Lord said we must never be discouraged in prayer. That is why he wondered if people's faith would stand the long delays before the return of the Son of Man.##
"However, we will never grow weary in prayer, and our faith will never falter if, after we have offered to God our prayers and requests, we add the perfect ending to every prayer as shown by the example of Christ's own prayer life and teaching… by always ending every prayer with: "however, not my will be done, O Lord, but yours!"##
+++++
References:
##THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. WILLIAM BARCLAY. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
**THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES. REVISED EDITION. THE LETTERS TO TIMOTHY, TITUS, AND PHILEMON. WILLIAM BARCLAY. THE WESTMINSTER PRESS. PHILADELPHIA. 1975
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Photo Credit: image by Reystleen. Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 21918460. Old door knocker with ladies hand.
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: In Memory of William J Kelly. Words, inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly, updated lyrics Paul Kelly and Stefan Kelk, with vocals and arrangement by Stefan Kelk, 2019.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C. Mission Sunday
(Sunday, October 20, 2019)
(EPISODE: 182 )
The Lord be with you.
+++++++++++++
{{Love and joy be with everyone}}
My friends in Christ, to worthily celebrate?the sacred mysteries, let us first acknowledge our sins.?
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
own preface
Eucharistic Prayer IV
Communion side. pwk: LH
++++
{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}
Go in peace. (glorifying the Lord by your life)
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: In Memory of William J Kelly. Words, inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly, updated lyrics Paul Kelly and Stefan Kelk, with vocals and arrangement by Stefan Kelk, 2019.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C. Mission Sunday
(Sunday, October 20, 2019)
(EPISODE: 182 )
The Lord be with you.
+++++++++++++
{{Love and joy be with everyone}}
My friends in Christ, to worthily celebrate?the sacred mysteries, let us first acknowledge our sins.?
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
own preface
Eucharistic Prayer IV
Communion side. pwk: LH
++++
{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}
Go in peace. (glorifying the Lord by your life)
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