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SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - C - 2022
·
The theme of the
liturgy is prayer, never get tired be persevering.
·
However, all the parables
have more than one interpretation, more than one message.
·
In the Gospel, we
read also that the widow asks for justice, her prayer is very concrete, she
asks the judge to render a just decision for her.
·
Our world is full
of brothers and sisters who day and night cry out for justice, to be treated as
human beings, to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the population. Let us
think about situations close to us, all those who do not have legal status in
the countries where they live, and ask to be accepted officially in the
country.
·
In a commentary,
the author asks this question: when we approach the Lord to pray, do we discover
in the heart of our Father the suffering of so many brothers and sisters? do we hear the cry that comes from all the
parts of the world asking for justice, equality, brotherhood and
solidarity?
· Or on the contrary our prayer is only about us or being worried of what we call "spiritual", forgetting that the Son of God became flesh to live among us.
FIRST READING Exodus 17:8-13
ü
This is an
interesting reading from the book of Exodus
ü
The effectiveness
of Moses prayer is based on having his hands raised.
ü
Therefore, when
he gets tired, he has to be helped by two men.
ü
This is what we
read. Let us try to discover the meaning
of this.
ü The support Moses receives may mean also the communal
prayer as Jesus said "when two or three... I am there with them.
ü
The effectiveness
of our prayer does not depend on us, or on those who support us, but in the
presence of Jesus, the only Son of the Father who prays with us and is always
heard by the Father.
ü
The fact that Joshua
won the battle destroying Amelek, is not the message the Lord wants us to get
from this reading. The message is the perseverance in prayer, not the
destruction of the enemy because Jesus himself taught to love our enemies.
ü
Jesus does not
destroy us for the evil we do, but he allows evil to destroy him and in so
doing he destroys evil forever, saving us all and, earning life eternal for
us.
ü It depends on us to accept this salvation which he has already accomplished for all of us.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 121: 1-2,3-4, 5-6, 7-8
OUR
HELP IS FROM THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH
I lift up my eyes toward the mountain
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip
may he slumber not who guards you
indeed, he neither slumbers nor sleeps
the guardian of Israel
OUR
HELP IS FROM THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH
The Lord is
your guardian, the Lord is your shade
he is beside you at your right hand
the sun shall not harm you by day
nor the moon by night.
OUR
HELP IS FROM THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH
The Lord will guard you from all evil
he will guard your life
the Lord will guard your coming and your going
both now and forever.
OUR HELP IS FROM THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH
§
The psalmist sings
that his help comes from the Lord.
§
In the verses
that come after this sentence, he describes the protection from God
with beautiful images: your foot will not slip... he does not sleep... his
shade protects you...
§ What a beautiful way to describe trust in the unconditional and tender love of our God and Father.
GOSPEL Luke 18:1-8
Luke tells us one
of the parables of Jesus which is found only in his Gospel
As it is the case
with all the parables, we need to find the real meaning, not the meaning of the
material words.
There are two
characters: the corrupt judge who has all power, and the woman who is powerless
and suffers injustice from her oppressors.
As the parable
unfolds this role are changed, the judge loses his power in front of the insistence
of the woman, who ends up having power over the judge.
A judge should
always dictate just sentences this is his mission.
Thus, there is
nothing worse than a corrupt judge. Amos in his book speaks about that.
Power always corrupts
those who have it, no matter what kind of power we might have: in society, in
politics, in finances, at work, in the church, at home, in the school.... Power
intoxicates us, like wine when we drink it in excess.
The woman, who
like any poor does not have anything else to lose, comes over and over
bothering the judge until the day when he imparts justice to her, so that she
will not come anymore.
Jesus tells us
that if this unjust judge can make justice to the woman, God will do much more
for us.
However, he does
not want to compare the behavior of the judge with God's behavior.
What Jesus wants
to teach us with this parable is the perseverance in prayer without getting
tired.
The insistence in
prayer is not because God does not listen to us at the first time, it is because
we are not ready, our heart is still hard and we do not allow the Lord to
transform us, we take our time to accept his action in us.
It is not God who takes time, it is us.
SECOND READING 2 Tm 3:14-4,2.
v
We continue listening
to what the author of the letter tells his disciple Timothy:
§
remain faithful
to what you have learned
§
remember what you
have known of the Scriptures since your childhood
§
Scripture can
give you wisdom for salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ.
§
All Scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching
§ I charge you to proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient, using all the means at your hand.
CLARETIAN CORNER
While my confessor was still doubtful in making
the decision because of the importance of the matter, he decided to go have his
exercises with his Excellency, Mgr. Claret (who was going to start his last
exercises and bid farewell to his dear brothers), and to consult the matter,
while in my convent everything was being prepared for the profession. At last,
my confessor came back from the interview, in the same way as he went there,
without any decision from Bishop Claret. Because he could not get anything from
him except that the fruit was already ripe but not yet in season, and that in
the meantime while he would see how was that new world and if there was good
disposition there. Venerable Maria Antonia Paris, Foundress of the
Claretian Missionary Sisters.
Autobiography 96.
Because I
wanted to improve my knowledge of manufacturing techniques, I asked my father
to send me to Barcelona. He agreed and took me there. But, like St. Paul, I had
to earn what I needed for food, clothing, books, teachers, etc., with my own
two hands. My first move was to submit a petition to the Board of Trade for
admission to classes in design. My request was granted and I used it to some
advantage. Who would have
guessed that God would one day use in the interests of religion the studies in
design that I undertook for early life business reasons? And, in fact, these
skills have been most useful to me in designing prints for catechisms and works
on mysticism. St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of
the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography
56.
BIBLIOGAPHY
CLARET, St. Anthony Mary
Claret. Autobiography
PAGOLA, José Antonio. El camino abierto por Jesús. Lucas.
PARÍS, Venerable María Antonia. Autobiography.
LA BIBLIA DE NUESTRO PUEBLO. Texto: Luis A. Schökel
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