Homily:
Twenty-seventh Sunday Year C
Reading
1: Ever cry out to God and feel there was no one listening because nothing
happen the way you expected? Is it because our insight and vision of the
situation are limited. We don’t have the wider perspective of God, who sees,
not only the present, but the future, in a present instant.
Habakkuk
was aware of the situation of the Israelites at the time. There was the
external threat of the Babylonians, who eventually conquered the Israelites and
took many into captivity. There was the internal decay of the people as they
continued to break their covenant with God and violated the Commandments. The
prophet has been crying out to God but nothing has happened.
Finally,
God responds, saying that Habakkuk’s understanding of the situation is limited.
He invited him to see things through God’s eyes and timing. We don’t know what
the vision or insight God revealed to the prophet. But the key phrase is the
just man, because of his faith shall live. The prophet ends his writing by
saying: even if the fig tree does not bear fruit, nor the vine bears grapes,
and there is no sheep or cattle to provide for sustenance, even so I will
rejoice in the Lord, who is my Savior. That is the bigger picture. We are
called to have faith that God has a bigger plan and that in his time will
accomplish it.
Gospel:
Faith is increased by exercise. The tone of my muscles will increase through
exercise. I become a better tennis player by practicing my serves. Faith is
increased when we step out our comfort zones and exercise our faith through
action. What is the action that Jesus indicates? Obedience to the will of God?
What has God asked us to do? Be obedient, fulfill what is expected of us and
see our faith increased.
When
the apostles saw Jesus walking on the water, Peter cried out to come to him on
the water. Jesus said, “Come.” Peter, looking at Jesus, stepped out of the boat
and began to walk on water. He was putting his faith in Jesus to practice. But
when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at this feet, he began to sink.
Jesus saved him and said: “O you of little faith.” Later, Peter’s faith in
Jesus increases, trusting and acting on his word. It was this that motivated
Peter to say to the crippled beggar: “In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk.”
It
is not the quantity but the quality and depth of our faith that is important.
The
second part of the Gospel is when we act according to the will of God, remember
that it is the power of God at work and not ourselves. We have done what is
expected of us as servants of God, not as the source of the miracle. To him is
the glory not to ourselves. Sometimes it is easy for us to be like the ant on
top of the elephant. The elephant tramples through the forest and crushes
everything in its path. It is so easy for the ant to say, how powerful am I,
when in fact he did nothing except to ride on the elephant.
Reading
2: We have been given many spiritual gifts, when hands were laid on us in
Baptism and Confirmation. They are present but need to be stirred up. This
means acted on, exercised and used. These gifts will enable us not to be
cowardly in face of temptations or questioning about our faith.
We
have been given such a rich deposit of faith—God’s revelations, now we must put
into practice our faith to keep it alive and vibrant. We can only do this if we
recognize that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that enables us
to step out in faith and do what God has called us to do in a given moment. Our
faith is not to be just mere assent to revealed truths. Our faith is be evident
in our lives as we step out of our comfort zones to allow God to use us to make
a difference in the lives of others through our words and actions. If we
believe in God’s love for us, we are to be signs of love to others.
