27th Sunday in Ordinary Time(Cycle C, YearI)

Community Word: Jesus Christ inspires us to have unwavering faith.

Theme: We have unwavering faith when we bear our share of hardship for the Gospel.

Promise: “For the vision has its time…it will surely come, it will not be late.”(Hb 2:3)

Reflection:
Jesus gave this command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mk 16:15). This great commission from the Lord to evangelize is certainly not easy to do. As we go out to preach the gospel and testify to Christ, we will face resistance, cynicism, and indifference even within our family circles. But with unwavering faith and persistence, ultimately, we can lead our brethren to have a personal relationship with Christ. While our ultimate goal is eternal life in the Heaven, even here on earth we can experience love, joy and peace that only come from our Lord Jesus Christ.

But how does one possess such unwavering faith? The words of Jesus illustrates this: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done,” (Mt 21:21). Unwavering faith, therefore,means to have perfect confidence, no doubt or confusion, focused and steadfast in belief. It is the kind of faith that cannot be weakened by anything. It cannot be shaken or destroyed by any problems and negative situations.

From the second reading, St. Paul advices Timothy referring to the Holy Spirit: “Stir into flame the gift of God…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God,” (2 Tim 1:6-8). We can apply this in our lives so that we will able to bear witness to the gospel in our evangelization work and mission without hesitation or fear.

Empowered in our baptism, we need to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit so that we will be able to stand firm in our love for God and for our brothers and sisters. We ought to rely on God to remain strong and determined to grow in spiritual maturity, to do what is right, to make the right decisions. As people gifted by the Holy Spirit and strengthened by the love of Christ, we possess the fruit of self-control to guard our feelings, our speech and actions.

Some examples of unwavering faith in community:

In initiating a scholarship program for indigent children, one community leader placed his complete faith in the Lord confident such a daunting project will prosper despite some misgivings by others. True enough, starting with limited resources, the scholarship program has prospered for some 9 years now with hundreds of poor children being provided with means to attend school. The program also gave rise to a holistic approach wherein many family members are being evangelized resulting in the formation of outreach prayer groups.

Another couple who were called by the Lord to take on higher responsibility, has been serving the community in various capacities with deep faith and dedication, in gratitude to God for countless blessings of prosperity and opportunities. They are enjoying peace, love and joy in their family and have been sharing their blessings to other couples and families as well.

We should not hesitate in proclaiming and living in God’s word, but remain strong in our faith in Christ and in His message of love. God will see us through difficult times and this is what we believe in because of our unwavering faith in His love for us. Finally, our trust in the Lord brings us hope in knowing there will be a realization of the purpose for which we are called in serving God. He has given us this promise: “For the vision has its time…it will surely come, it will not be late,” (Hb 2:3).

Prayer:
Lord, sustain and strengthen us with the virtues of faith, hope and love. With trusting hearts, may we do what You ask of us in serving our community without fear of hardship and opposition, but with unconditional faith that everything will come to its perfect end according to your most loving Will. Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:
1.Have you participated in the evangelization works of the community? Share your challenges and fulfilling experiences you encountered and any lessons you learned. (Note: Other than circle sharing, we suggest sharing with the whole ministry).

2.What are your suggestions to encourage members to stay and continue serving in the community?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
October 6, 2019 (Sun) – Hb 1:2,3;2:2-4/Ps 95:1-2,6,7,8,9/2Tm 1:6-8,13,14/Lk 17:5-10
October 7, 2019 (Mon) – Jon 1:1-2:2, 11/Jon 2:3-5, 8/Lk 10:25-37
October 8, 2019 (Tue) – Jon 3:1-10/Ps 130:1-4, 7, 8/Lk 10:38-42
October 9, 2019 (Wed) – Jon 4:1-11/Ps 86:3-6, 9, 10/Lk 11:1-4
October 10, 2019 (Thu) -Mal 3:13-20/Ps 1-4, 6/Lk 11:5-13
October 11, 2019 (Fri) -Jl 1:13-15; 2:1, 2/Ps 9:2, 3, 6, 16, 8, 9/Lk 11:15-26
October 12, 2019 (Sat) – Jl 4:12-21/Ps 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12/Lk 11:27-28

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”