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Contents: Volume 2 27th SUNDAY (C) October 5, 2025
1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP -2. -- Dennis Keller OP - 3. --
4. --
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One of the
holy women in my life came to mind immediately when I read: “For the vision
still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; She said it often and witnessed to it often in her life. For me now, it seems to summarize what we followers of Jesus need to print and splash all over our visible spaces in some way. We need to do what it says as a positive response to so many dire circumstances of our present day world of gloom and doom. We can do that in little post it notes to ourselves, in how we converse with others, in what we write, etc. No ignoring the crises though... just increase the hope! The second reading demonstrates St. Paul’s deep holy relationship with Timothy. The holy people in our lives may be unknown to us, just a smattering or a gracious many. I’ve had a gracious many, some now with the Lord, a few presently nearby, and others far away in distance but close in Spirit. In the busyness of life, those vital people with whom we communicate should be higher on our list of daily priorities. God has sent them into our lives as much needed companions for the journey.
In the Gospel story, I think in Jesus’s unique way, that he is telling us that we really do not need a reward from God of gummy faith vitamins. Any faith at all is a gift from the Divine. Faith and genuine friends need to be used in ways that match the Divine Plan. We are to serve the Almighty, not keep asking for bonus faith points. Maybe more strength, yes; following guidance yes….. Perhaps stopping our asking long enough to listen to the Divine will help us trust the Divine Vision even more.
Blessings, Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP Southern Dominican Laity
****************************************************** Twenty Seventh Sunday of Ordered Time October 5, 2025
Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets. His dialogue with God is only three chapters long. He complains, God answers. Not always what Habakkuk wanted to hear, but there is always an answer. It’s easier to think the answer came from within our minds. A prophet understands the message from God is greater than anything his mind can create. His dialogue with God took place around 612 BCE. At that time, the Kingdom of Juda was struggling with a debilitating, vicious partisanship. Nothing was getting done. Political decisions about trade, about foreign policy, about domestic relations were in a horrible shape. At the same time, a couple of other nations were in conquest mode, wanting to expand their territory for domination and economic reasons. Habakkuk complains to God, “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen. I cry out to you ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and clamorous discord!” Clearly the prophet voices the concerns and panic of citizens without power, without wealthy to sway action. God answers him in a shocking manner. Were we to apply God’s response to our time and conditions, we would indeed be dismayed. God answers Habakkuk. “Look over the nations and see and be utterly amazed! For a work is being done in your days that you would not have believed were it told. For see, I am raising up Chaldea (also known as Babylonia) that bitter and unruly people, who marches the breath of the land to take dwellings not his own. … Swifter than leopards are his horses and keener than wolves at evening. ….. They fly like the eagle hastening to devour; each comes for the rapine. Their combined onset is that of a storm wind that heaps up captives like sand.”
So that’s how God dealt with the disastrous and divisive violence in Juda. Babylon – the Chaldeans will come to Juda as a wake-up call from the Lord.
Habakuk continues to argue with God, speaking of just men in contrast to the Chaldeans. God’s answer is the last part of the reading. The plan of God will be fulfilled, presses on to fulfillment. And God’s plan will not disappoint. The Just Man / Woman), because of their faith, will live.
Who can understand God’s plan and how it will be fulfilled?
The apostles in this Sunday’s gospel say to Jesus: “Increase our faith.” Jesus tells them to work for faith. Moving a mulberry tree into the sea isn’t a thing any of us can do. What is Jesus talking about? Standing over the incubator of a pre-mature child whose life expectancy is maybe a day, plus a couple of hours more is a question of faith. Do I have the faith to change the blood that has flowed into her brain arresting natural development? The simple answer is , “no.”
Faith
is a gift residing in the heart. It is given to us.
Aren’t Jesus’ final lines in this gospel hard to accept? Pretty much like Habakuk’s questioning God. “How long must I toil and put up with the infighting and manipulations of truth?” Do we hear God tell us, as he did Habakuk; “I have a surprise for you?” When we have done all we can do to live justly: when we have worked and grown tired, we are called to continue. When we have done all the Lord has instructed us, we can only say we have done what we are obliged to do. In days of great difficulty, when the powers that be encourage us to deny the ministry of Jesus we become angry which justifies violence with those who differing in conviction. Jesus’ revelation of God’s love for us is conscious only during empty worship. It’s every person for themselves, community is fractured. We no longer are stirred by the wonder of creation, of each other. We fail to perceive God’s presence. We become alone, struggling to survive in a world of hatred and violence. We lose touch with the Transcendent God. We begin to worship ourselves as god. We have yet more work to do to live and reveal God’s Love for us. As God tells Habakkuk, there is a surprise for us when God’s plan brings us hope, resolve, and action for peace and kindness.
Dennis Keller dennis@preacherexchange.com
****************************************************** ****************************************************** ****************************************************** 4. ****************************************************** ****************************************************** 5. ****************************************************** Volume 2 is for you. These reflections follow the Liturgical Calendar and appear here about mid week each week. They are written by various guest authors. If you would like to submit a reflection of your own, then click here to send an email request to post to the Webmaster. Deadline is Monday of each week for the upcoming Sunday.
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A service of The Order of Preachers,
The Dominicans. (form revised 9/29/2025) |
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