Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C 2022

Peter H. Davids

Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Rather than fighting battles through the means of the world, we need to realize that God's means are patient prayer and the proclamation of the word, as our readings show.

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By Prayer and Proclamation

Outline

I often have my doubts about Christian crusades

Whether it be the crusade (on the right and the left) to “restore” morals - as if history taken far enough back gave us indication of morals to restore - or the crusade against abortion or the crusade for the rights of various minorities, racial or sexual, or the crusade for freedom (which is defined in whatever way the crusader wants)

It is not that I am at all against the desired goals - I embrace many of them - but I have my doubts about the means, for they rely on the power and at least implicit violence of the world and that is always in the hands of one or another group of elites, as G. K. Chesterton pointed out.

The Church’s battles must be fought by the means given to the Church, the seemingly weak means of prayer and proclamation

Jesus teaches us about prayer

Now our reading is one of the most disliked parables of Jesus, but it makes an important point.

It is a qol we homer form, if x how much more y.

If an unjust judge eventually works justice for a widow whose only power is persistence and does so simply because he does not want to be shamed or cursed or tired out (depending on one’s translation), how much more will God, the Judge who is justice, “secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.” The problem is that his speedy is not our speedy and his means are often unseen.

But the parable is a call to persistent prayer because of our commitment to or trust in God (faith).

Now we shift to another battle, a physical one

Joshua is told to take some “chosen men” and go and meet the advancing army of Amalek; since all were newly freed slaves, it is unlikely that Joshua found trained warriors. That is how God likes it.

The rest of the story is about Moses climbing a hill overlooking the battle and lifting his hands in prayer. That is what determined the outcome of the battle.

But Moses, the priest-prophet par excellance, grew tired (after all, he was rather old), so Aaron, Moses’ brother and high priest and Hur Moses’ friend, stand beside him holding his arms up as Moses sits on a rock and the battle is won.

It was prayer, not the sword, that won the battle, but the pray-er needed support.

Finally we come to Timothy

He is also in a battle, and Paul reminds him of his equipment: “remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it.” We learn that this “what” was the tradition Paul had transmitted that completed and gave meaning to the Scriptures Timothy had learned from his youth. This “equips” him for “every good work.”

So how is he to fight? “Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” It is via proclamation, argument, exhortation - and it will demand patience. In other words, he needs to convert hearts and minds.

Of course, Paul had given him an example of prayer laying behind his own preaching.

So what about us?

The battle is a battle for hearts and minds, for conversion, for leading people to give their loyalty to Jesus. That is what, for instance, ended infanticide, among other things, in the GrecoRoman world.

That means, of course, study, for we must learn truth and learn how to present truth if we are to lead people to him who is Truth. After all, the devil is the father of lies, of untruth.

But at the foundation of study and proclamation is prayer, which means that we express our prayer to God or Jesus, often through Mary, often and persistently, knowing that God will answer, but that we may grow tired and old and even repose in Christ before that answer becomes visible. We might not even recognize it when it comes.

That means that we need supporters, some of which are financial and practical, and some of which are spiritual. For instance, I see my role as a priest in general both as a person of prayer myself (as well as teaching) and as the person supporting, even leading in prayer the “troops,” whose weapons will be ineffective if they are not rooted in prayer.

So I exhort you to realize that our battles are rooted in prayer and proclamation - our goal is changed hearts. And that requires patience which in turn is rooted in our deep trust in him who rules even when we do not see his rule.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 10-16-2022: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Exodus 17:8–13

8 Then Amalek came and waged war against Israel in Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle while Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. 12 Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they took a rock and put it under him and he sat on it. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady until sunset. 13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-16-2022: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 121:2

2 My help comes from the LORD,

the maker of heaven and earth.

PSALM

Psalm 121:1–8

1 A song of ascents.

I raise my eyes toward the mountains.

From whence shall come my help?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

the maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip;

or your guardian to sleep.

4 Behold, the guardian of Israel

never slumbers nor sleeps.

5 The LORD is your guardian;

the LORD is your shade

at your right hand.

6 By day the sun will not strike you,

nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will guard you from all evil;

he will guard your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your coming and going

both now and forever.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-16-2022: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

2 Timothy 3:14–4:2

14 But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, 15 and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

CHAPTER 4

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: 2 proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-16-2022: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Hebrews 4:12

12 Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

GOSPEL

Luke 18:1–8

1 Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3 And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5 because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’ ” 6 The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 10-16-2022: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2022 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Exodus 17:8–13

Response Psalm 121:2

Psalm Psalm 121:1–8

Second Reading 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2

Gospel Acclamation Hebrews 4:12

Gospel Luke 18:1–8

GREEN

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