27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A, Year I)

Community Word
Obedience to God’s will keeps us growing in holiness.

Theme:
We grow in holiness when we use our God-given gifts and talents to prosper God’s kingdom.

Promise:
“The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds.” (Phil 4:7)

Reflection:
God is indeed kind and generous to entrust each of us with gifts and talents for our every need. He could have total control of our lives and could demand our absolute submission, yet He gives us freedom to run our life as we choose. But instead of being grateful by offering our time, talent and treasure in building His kingdom, we secure our lives by building our own little kingdoms – those things important to us – career, home, family, relationship and our comfort. And, when we are successful and self-sufficient, we claim all the credit and the right to our personal happiness and satisfaction. Sometimes, we forget to consider our achievements as blessings from the Lord, much less give Him all honor and glory by giving back the fruit of the gifts He planted in us.
The gospel for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time could be telling an uncomfortable message to some people of this age. Many people want to see life in their own way, live a lifestyle in their own terms, and focus more on growing their own “empires and territories.” And when God intervenes with ways different from what they believe in they complain and resist. But the truth is that at the doorstep of every glory stands our Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the rejected cornerstone, yet He is the firm foundation of our life. In His hands is the Kingdom of God which He offers to all without distinction. He is the hope that makes a difference in our life, a life that labors for the King in spreading the Good News to all people.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to reign over our lives, we will be able to get rid of our self-centeredness, arrogance and manipulative tendencies. He will reveal who we really are, what our talents and passions are, and point us to the direction of our true purpose, not just about us, but about what the King desires for us to do. We will be obedient when He sends us anywhere, with boldness not fearing any geographic, political, social or economic limits. Every time we go and accomplish our mission, we are reminded by this week’s theme – We grow in holiness when we use our God-given gifts and talents to prosper God’s kingdom.
As community members, let us remember that we are “vine growers” assigned by the “Owner” (God) to take care of His crop – the mission to evangelize not only our members but all His people. And the Lord expects delivery of the fruit – the works of love for our neighbors. Regardless of our reactions when He requires accounting of the harvest, God will always achieve His purpose and obtain the good fruit He wants. Because when we refuse to be fruitful, He will take away from us our gifts and talents and He will give them to others who will produce the fruit (Mt 21:43).
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Those who still insist that they are not prepared or equipped to go to mission, or continue to think that they have no time or role in prospering God’s Kingdom, are actually ignoring or neglecting their God-given gifts and talents, deceiving themselves and refusing the Lord’s call to faithfulness and fruitfulness.
Let us be assured that when Jesus calls us for a specific task, He wants us to work on it, to up build others as well as ourselves that we may also experience joy in the process. Surely, He will fill us with confidence, perseverance, and courage. This is His promise for the week, “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds,” (Phil 4:7).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the grace to fully use the gifts and talents you entrusted to me in prospering Your kingdom in the lives of Your people. Remove all hindrances that might prevent me from becoming a true Kingdom builder and allow me to serve You first and foremost in all my works. Give me strength and perseverance that as I grow in holiness I will remain a fruitful, faithful and committed follower of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reflection Guides: 1. In what way are you using your God-given gifts in the church, in community, in your family and society? 2. Have you shared the word of God with the wounded and lost, comforted the sick or helped the oppressed? Share what you experienced while doing these works. 3. What are your fears and apprehensions in doing God’s mission? How do you plan to overcome them?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
October 8, 2017 (Sun) – Is 5:1-7/Ps 80:9,12,13-16,19,20/Phil 4:6-9/Mt 21:33-43
October 9, 2017(Mon) – Jon 1:1-2:1-2, 11/Jon 2:3-5, 8/Lk 10:25-37
October 10 2017(Tues) – Jon 3:1-10/Ps 130:1-4, 7, 8/Lk 10:38-42
October 11, 2017(Wed) – Jon 4:1-11/Ps 86:3-6, 9, 10/Lk 11:1-4
October 12, 2017 (Thur) – Mal 3:13-20/Ps 1:1-4, 6/Lk 11:5-13
October 13, 2017 (Fri) – Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2/Ps 9:2, 3, 6, 16, 8, 9/Lk 11:15-26
October 14, 2017(Sat) – Jl 4:12-21/Ps 97:1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12/Lk 11:27, 28
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”