Waiting Faithfully in the Face of Injustice!

 

18th Week: Ordinary Time Saturday

Year One

Duet 6:4-13

Meditation

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.  Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.  Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.(Deut 6:4-9)

A prayer is given to Israel. They were told to recite it. They were told to talk about it. They were told to be in the constant presence of the prayer. This prayer is the Shema. This prayer expresses belief in the oneness and in the comparability of God. A command to follow, to recite, to keep the verse safe in heart, on forehead, on door posts and on the entrance. A scripture so important. I believe even to this day, the Israelis pray this prayer five times a day. A prayer to keep connected to God. Prayer is to be in union and communion with God. We know in prayer we are in the presence of God. In prayer, we experience the love of God. God is love. He dwells in our hearts. He will not abandon us. He wants us to be aware of his loving presence in our lives.

Do we recognize the presence of God in our lives?

Year Two

Habakkuk 1:12-2:2-4

Waiting Faithfully in the Face of Injustice!

 “The righteous will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4).  Habakkuk is deeply troubled. He sees violence and evil around him, and when God responds that He will use Babylon, a cruel and godless empire, to bring judgment, Habakkuk is even more disturbed.  The prophet questions God: “Are You not from everlasting? Why would you use the wicked to punish those more righteous than themselves?”

“Why do you tolerate the treacherous?” (Habba 1:13). This isn’t rebellion, it’s a heart desperate to understand God's justice. Genuine faith doesn’t ignore the pain of injustice. It brings it honestly before God.  Am I holding back my honest struggles from God, thinking I need to be “strong”? “But the righteous will live by his faith.” (Habba2:4). This is the heart of God’s response. The arrogant rely on themselves, but the righteous live by faith, trusting God even when they don't see immediate justice.

Do I truly live by faith or only when the outcomes are visible and favourable?

Mt 17:14-20

Disciples could not make a boy with seizures well.  Jesus is sorry for the disciples.  The disciples asked privately why they did not heal them.  Jesus tells them to do some wonders, they need faith.  It is true, like disciples, we do lack faith that we can do wonders in the name of Jesus.  Little faith can do wonders in the name of God.  Let us have faith in God and pray for faith and work in faith, and God will do the rest.

Do we make use of the faith we have?

Fr Putti Anthaiah Sdb

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