27th Sunday of the Year (c)
Ordinary Season of the Year. (c)
Weekdays – Year 2
Sunday 2nd October: 27th Sunday of the Year. (c)
The first reading is from the Prophet Habakkuk. He is complaining that God does not seem to hear or act in response to the Prophet’s cry for justice. God tells him the time is coming when justice will prevail.
The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to Timothy. He reminds us that God gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us to bear witness tou our faith and to persevere in the face of difficulty.
St. Luke, in this section of his Gospel, is reminding us that it not the quantity of faith that matters, if indeed we can measure it at all but the quality of our relationship with God that matters.
Monday 3rd October: Monday in the 27th week of the year.
Today we begin to listen to St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. He had visited the community and was disappointed and surprised they had been led astray by the false preachers who had appeared in their midst. They tried to insist the Christians still had to live by the Law o the Jews. Paul now begins to explain the error of this teaching. Listen to what you have been told by me and put it into practice he tells them.
As always, the lawyers always had a trick question with which to try to trap Jesus. They believed that they should only look after their ‘own kind.’ That was how they understood ‘love your neighbour.’ Jesus uses the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach them otherwise.
Tuesday 4th October: Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi.
Francis was born in 1181. He lived a very lavish life until he was about twenty. He was captured by soldiers from a neighbouring city and held prisoner for over a year. He then took on the Christian life despite severe opposition from his father. In 1208, while praying in the church of the Portiuncula, he felt called personally by God to leave all things and follow him. He put on the garment, which we now know as the Franciscan habit. Others joined him and so the Franciscan Order came into being, living vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In 1224, Francis received the stigmata. He is also credited with building the first crib to help the people understand the story of the birth of Jesus. He was a man of generosity, simplicity and devotion to God. He died in 1226.
Wednesday 5th October: Wednesday of 27th week of the year.
Paul talks further of his own experience. He went to Jerusalem where he came under great pressure and even opposed some of Peter’s teaching.
Yesterday we were told of the need to make time. Today Jesus gives an example of how to pray – the Lord’s Prayer.
Thursday 6th October: Thursday of 27th week of the year.
Paul is angry with the Galatians. They want the best of both worlds but he reminds them they have committed themselves to Christ and must remain true to that commitment.
In the Gospel, Jesus continues his lesson on prayer. To be real prayer it has to be trusting and persevering. If we have faith, we should not hesitate to ask.
Friday 7th October: Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.
This feast was instituted by Pope Saint Pius V, in thanksgiving, on the anniversary of the battle of Lepanto in 1571. It was claimed that the Christians were victorious over the Turks because they had prayer the Rosary on the eve of the battle and invoked Our Lady’s help.
The feast is reminder to each one of us to use the prayer of the rosary as a means of reflecting on the life of Jesus and of drawing closer to him and each other as a result.
Saturday 8th October: Saturday of 26th week of the year.
Paul stresses that there is no distinction between gentile and Jew in following Christ. We have all put on Christ.
Jesus presents us with another special lesson. We will be truly blessed if we hear the word of God, keep it and put it into action.
God the source and strength of all love.
May he bless our families
With happiness and faithfulness.
Amen
May he bless our communities
With unity and peace
And make us one heart and one soul.
Amen.
May he give to all of us
A love that brings out the best
In each other.
Amen.
May God bless you all
And keep his love alive
in you.
Amen.
