27th Sunday Ordinary Time

Readings: Habakkuk 1.2-3;2.2-4, 2Timothy 1.6-8, 13-14, Luke 17.5-10

Faith is a choice in our lives even at the same time that it is a gift of God to us. There are days when only faith seems small and weak. There are other times when our faith seems strong and deep. Faith is about knowing what God asks of us and trying to do what God asks of us.

In th first reading the prophet Habakkuk is counting to us an experience that perhaps many of us have had; Praying to God for a partial favor and nothing happens! If we were only praying for material favors, perhaps, We would not be surprised, but even when we ask God for spiritual favors, He seems often not to reply to our prayers.

Here we might think the young children in alcoholic families who pray to God to help their parents-and nothing happens. We can think of parents who are watching one their young children die and who pray for healing- and nothing happens. We can think of parents praying for faith for their children- and nothing happens.

Habakkuk is telling us to be patient and wait. We must wait on God. Faith calls us to believe that there is a personal God who really cares about usand in whose hands the whole world is resting. We are called to believe that God is alive and active in our world. We are called to believe that Gid lies each one of us personally and also is involved in our lives in a personal way. This is not easy to believe, but it is the invitation given to us by God in that revelation which we call Holy Scripture.

The Gospel from Luke also seems to be teaching us that we must wait on the lord. We should not presume simply that because we cry out to God, then God will do exactly what we want. So much of the teaching of the Holy Scriptures is about the necessity to persevere in prayer, without expecting any kind of immediate results. We are invited to put all our trust in God. We are invited to live each day with an awareness that God is in our lives and actually doing something in our lives. We may not see it,but that is not important. The attitude of faith much more important that actually seeing any results.

On the other hand those of us who have lived their lives of faith over many decades can often see the differences in our lives because of living by faith. If we can actually see that God is active in our lives, then we need to proclaim that to others. We need to be witnesses to God’s presence and God’s love.

Let us encourage one another to live by faith. Let us invite one another to deepen our daily trust in the Lord. When we sense that God is active in lives, then we need to proclaim that to others. We need to be witnesses to God’s presence. When we must walk in darkness, let us alarm walk by the light of faith of others. Lord, increase our faith.