“We never give more honor to Jesus
than when we honor his Mother,
and we honor her simply and solely to honor him
all the more perfectly.
We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek – Jesus, her Son.”
– Saint Louis Marie de Montfort
TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Lectionary: 141
Reading I
How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Reading II
Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
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,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.
Alleluia 1 Pt 1:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever.
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia
Gospel
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
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Seeking Praise
This is a hard command to live. Most often when we have done something well, and fulfilled our duty, we seek recognition and praise. We want to be noticed. And while this may be a “normal” reaction, it’s not the most humble reaction. Humility comes in many degrees, and the deepest degree of humility allows a person to repeat this passage above and mean it.
First, we must realize that the will of God is good for us. It imposes an obligation of love on us. When we fulfill God’s will, we should take delight in that fact alone because it is good. That way, the fulfillment of God’s will becomes the source of our joy, not the recognition of others.
On the other hand, it is good when we see goodness in others and acknowledge it. We should do this not to build up their ego but to give praise to God for the good thing done. And when others see and acknowledge God’s will accomplished in our lives, we must accept their praise not as a source of our pride but as an honest acknowledgment that God is good and His will is being fulfilled. We must be grateful that we could do “what we were obliged to do.”
Embracing the will of God as a holy “obligation” also enables us to fulfill it more fully. When doing the will of God is seen as something extraordinary, we may not build a proper habit of fulfilling it. But when it’s seen as our duty of love and as the normal act we should fulfill, it’s easier to embrace His will more completely.
Reflect, today, on this humble phrase. “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” Try to say it, mean it and let it become the foundation of your daily service of God’s will. Doing so will set you on the “fast track” toward holiness.
Today's Prayer
Lord, I am an unprofitable servant. When I fulfill Your holy will, I acknowledge that this is a holy obligation of love and my most fundamental duty. Help me to see Your will as the most normal part of my daily life. Help me to embrace it with wholehearted faith and obedience. Jesus, I trust in You.
God Bless You.....
The Rosary FamilyThe mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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