Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

A world of justice
For those who have eyes to see
Their garden; Their way.

Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4 / 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14 / Lk 17:5-10

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord." Yes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As long as we are human, we will give birth to ruin and misery. Sometimes, this is the product of greed and envy. But oftentimes, it is the result of a lack of patience in our Parent's vision; for in our rashness to help the kingdom along, we inevitably replace God's plan with one of our own. We are neither masters, nor builders, but merely servants, and unprofitable ones at that. And therein lies our greatest freedom: our Parent does not expect us to end evil and suffering; that is their work, not ours. No, our obligation is to love our siblings as best we can, no more, no less; and then to trust God to do wonderful things with that love. That is a faith that sings joyfully. That is a faith that moves mountains in hardened hearts. That is a faith that brings forth eternal life.

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4; Psalms 95:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:6-14; Luke 17:5-10

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 1:6-14; Luke 17:5-10

Who among us aspires to be an unprofitable servant? Most of us would be embarrassed or offended if branded with such a label. Even slackers and bums would likely reject it as too subservient. And that is why faith is so hard for us. We are a prideful and impatient people. We set out from an early age to conquer life, to mold it according to our dreams. Some of us are foolish enough to think that we have actually succeeded in those endeavors. But whether we are alive to witness it or not, all of our feeble kingdoms collapse eventually. Only one kingdom lasts; only one kingdom matters. And we serve that kingdom by surrendering control: of our time, of our will, of our very lives. Rarely will such faith make sense from day to day, but it will move mountains, not merely trees, when it counts. So let us strive to be our Creator's unprofitable servants, for there is no higher honor than that.