27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: True followers of Christ live a life of unwavering faith.
Theme: We live a life of unwavering faith when we place our complete trust in Christ Jesus.
Promise: “…the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” (Hab 1:4)
Reflection:
Jesus commands His followers – “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 share 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. Although our goal is eternal life in heaven, here on earth we can already 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, without any doubt or confusion, but focused and steadfast in belief. It is the kind of faith that cannot be weakened or by anything. It cannot be shaken or destroyed by any problems and discouraging situations.
St. Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as he advised Timothy – “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 to our lives so that we will be 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.
In initiating a scholarship program for indigent children, one community leader placed his complete faith in the Lord confident that such a daunting project will prosper despite some misgivings by others. Starting with limited resources, the scholarship program has prospered for some 12 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.
When we declare that we are true followers of Jesus, we must 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: “…the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” (Hab 1:4)
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. How active are you in the evangelization works of the community? Share the challenges and fulfilling experiences you encountered and any lessons you learned.
2. What are your suggestions to encourage members to stay and continue serving in the community?
   This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
   October 2, 2022 (Sun) – Hb1:2-3; 2:2-4/ Ps 95:1-2,6-9/ 2 Tm 1:6-8,13-14/ Lk 17:5-10
   October 3, 2022 (Mon) – Gal 1:6-12/ Ps 111:1, 2, 7-10/ Lk 10:38-42
   October 4, 2022 (Tue) – Gal 1:13-24/ Ps 139:1-3, 13-15/ Lk 10:38-42
   October 5, 2022 (Wed) – Gal 2:1, 2, 7-14/ Ps 117:1, 2/ Lk 11:1-4
   October 6, 2022 (Thu) – Gal 3:1-5/ Lk 1:69-75/ Lk 11:5-13
   October 7, 2022 (Fri) – Gal 3:7-14/ Ps 111:2-6/ Lk 11:15-16
   October 8, 2022 (Sat) – Gal 3:22-29/ Ps 105:2-7 /Lk 11:27-28
   “Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”