33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time(Cycle C, YearI)

Community Word:Jesus our Sovereign King is our hope of glory.

Theme:Our hope of glory is in Jesus our King when we persevere in our faith.

Promise:“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” (Lk 21:19)

Reflection:
The counsel to persevere in one’s faith points to the hard reality that certain situations in life can make us waiver in our faith. Sometimes this manifests in doubting that God is actually in control or in situations when we question the authenticity of God’s love for us. We get impatient when our prayers seem to remain unanswered. We worry about the future and become disheartened. This is true especially when we go through rough times of hardships and tribulations. But suffering is part of life. Many passages in Scriptures tell us to expect trials and difficulties in our life time on earth (cf. Jn 16:33, 2 Tim 1:8, 1 Pt 4:12).

The abundant life that Jesus promise has nothing to do with a trouble-free life, but rather it is having His joy and peace in the midst of adversities. In the face of tribulations, we can find inspiration from James 1:12,“Blessed is the one who perseveres in faith under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

We have an example of a couple who faithfully served in community for years. Their service bore much fruit and many people, both young and old, benefited spiritually and corporally from their ministry. However, the husband became seriously ill and despite obtaining the best medical services, he succumbed to his illness. Up to the last moment, the couple persevered and never wavered in their faith and in God’s wisdom. They accepted God’s will with peace in their hearts. And God in His mercy and compassion has assured the husband of his place in heaven. On the other hand, the wife has remained active in serving the Lord.

How do we persevere in faith? Faith is increased by drawing closer to God through prayer. We can follow what Paul told the Philippians, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,”(Phil 4:6-7). We are told not to worry, but to give our cares to the Lord. It is in prayers that our belief and trust in God’s benevolence are increased.

Another way faith is increased is by reading or hearing examples of faith in the Bible,“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,”(Rom 10:17). We need to read the Scripture so that our faith may be nourished. The more we become acquainted with the God’s word, the more we come to know, trust and love God. Through the nourishment of the Word, we are able to believe in Him and all that He promises. This helps us grow in trusting in the Lord. Yet there are times when He is silent and during these times we quickly feel abandoned. It is at these times that we must persevere in our faith and trust in God’s perfect time and never lose heart. We are called to exercise the virtue of patience while doing the work we are called to do, to wait on God and believe that He is always with us and never abandon us in our faith journey.

However, real faith is not merely believing in God and in His words. We act on our faith by serving God and obeying His commandments. This leads us to an intimate relationship and persevering faith in Christ. Such confidence and perseverance is at the core of saving faith that gives us the assurance of a great reward of eternal glory in Christ, our Sovereign King, in this promise, “By your perseverance you will secure your lives,”(Lk 21:19).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray for an ever deepening faith in You in whatever circumstances we may be situated. May we be nourished by your Word day by day and be refreshed with rivers of living water that stream into our hearts from above, so that whatsoever we do will be pleasing to You and glorify Your name. This we pray, in Jesus name, our Sovereign King, Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:
1.What situation have you experienced when you doubted your faith in God? How did you overcome this predicament?
2.Share a personal experience when God intervened in your difficulty.

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 17, 2019 (Sun) – Mal 3:19-20/Ps 98:5-9/2Thes 3:7-12/Lk 21:5-19
November 18, 2019 (Mon) – 1Mc 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64/Ps 119:53, 61,134,150,155,158/Lk 18:35-43
November 19, 2019 (Tue) – 2Mc 6:18-31/Ps 3:2-7/Lk 19:1-10
November 20, 2019 (Wed) – 2Mc 7:1, 20-31/Ps 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15/Lk 19:11-28
November 21, 2019 (Thu) – 1Mc 2:15-29/Ps 50:1, 2, 5, 6, 14, 15/Lk 19:41-44
November 22, 2019 (Fri) – 1Mc 4:3-37, 52-59/1Chr 29:10, 11, 12/Lk 19:45-48
November 23, 2019 (Sat) – 1Mc 6:1-13/Ps 9:2, 3, 4, 6, 16, 19/Lk 20:27-40

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