A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (# 47)
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 17, 2004
“The Lord Does Justice”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 17:8-13 // 2 Tim 3:14-4:2 // Lk 18:1-8
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
At times, the power of evil is so overwhelming that even persons of faith begin to falter. This is evident in the following account:
Archbishop Romero offers her a chair. Marianela prefers to talk standing up. She always comes for others, but this time she comes for herself. Marianela Garcia Vilas, attorney for the tortured and disappeared of El Salvador, does not come this time to ask the archbishop’s solidarity with one of the victims … This time she has something personal to say to him. As mildly as she can, she tells him that the police have kidnapped her, bound, beat, humiliated, stripped her – and they raped her. She tells it without tears or agitation, with her usual calm, but Archbishop Romero has never before heard in Marianela’s voice these vibrations of hatred, echoes of disgust, calls for vengeance. When Marianela finishes, Archbishop Romero, who always gives advice and comfort, is weeping like a child without mother or home. He who always gives assurances, the tranquilizing assurance of a neutral God who knows and embraces all – Archbishop Romero doubts. He weeps and doubts.
Against the backdrop of today’s painful human realities experienced by those whose faith is severely tested, the Gospel of this Sunday (Lk 18:1-8) becomes exceedingly relevant and meaningful. Jesus comforts those whose faith is intensely challenged with the astounding truth: God secures the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him in faith. The evangelist Luke explains that the parable of the unscrupulous judge and the importunate widow, which Jesus addressed to his disciples, is about the need to pray always and never lose heart. The widow was relentlessly pursuing the dishonest judge and continually beseeching him to render a just decision on her behalf against her adversary. In order to get rid of the pestering widow and to stop being bothered by her any further, he finally granted her request.
The biblical scholar, Samuel Oyin Abogunrin, commented on this parable: “The key characters in the parable are a judge and a widow. The perversion of justice is condemned again and again in the Old Testament. Judges are to be impartial arbiters and champions of the helpless, poor, widows, orphans, foreigners, and the like … In this parable the judge appears not to uphold this standard. The widow is the figure of the oppressed and the defenseless who suffer at the hands of ruthless rulers and unjust judges. The poor widow, who is deprived of her rights by one more powerful than she, is in this parable asking only for justice. The judge stands in stark contrast to God who throughout the Bible is described as one who cannot condone evil … If an unjust judge will eventually hear the persistent pleas of a poor widow, how much more will a just judge, God, hear our cries for help if we will only be persistent in our appeals. Therefore we should never despair, but like the poor widow persist in hope.”
In the Gospel parable, the perverse judge acts as a foil for God, who will, at the end-time, see to it that justice is done speedily for those who persist in faith and prayer. The loving and compassionate God does justice for the poor and the oppressed. Indeed, if the persistent pleading of the helpless widow triumphs over the unjust judge, who is guided by neither divine or human law, how much more will the persistent praying of Christian disciples achieve true justice. If an unjust judge yields to the entreaties of a pestering widow, how much more will a gracious God come to the help of his disciples who cry out to him for succor.
The decisive question, therefore, is the one raised by the Lord Jesus: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). The Franciscan scholar, Robert Karris, elucidates: “The decisive question is not about God’s vindication of God’s persecuted community; God will vindicate them. The decisive question is whether Jesus’ disciples will remain faithful to him during the long haul caused by the delay of his return.” The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6 concur: “The issue is one of faith: faith in the God who saves; faith in the Lord, the Son of Man who will come again; faith which must always be reawakened in us, without losing heart, because, without it, there is no salvation.”
The persevering prayer of Christian disciples who suffer injustice and fight for justice in the world is geared towards the strengthening of faith. Prayer is necessary for Christ’s followers to remain faithful as they await the coming of God’s kingdom in its fullness. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6 remark: “Prayer without losing heart is directed toward the salvation that God has promised to grant swiftly to his chosen ones who call out to him day and night. It is therefore an act of faith in God and, in some way, a school of faith for it unfolds and expresses it, while at the same time strengthening, increasing and expanding it.”
In light of today’s death-dealing situations that challenge the Christian disciples, Samuel Oyin Abogunrin asserts: “Under the tyrannical governments in different parts of the world, bringing forth the justice to be actualized fully with the coming of the Son of Man will require tenacious and obstinate prayer both by the mistreated and excluded and by those standing in solidarity with them.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. What is our attitude towards the Lord’s exhortation about the necessity of persevering prayer and the need to pray without losing heart?
B. In light of today’s situations and the unmitigated cry of Yahweh’s anawim for justice, do we truly believe that he will secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him in faith?
C.
What is our personal response to the Lord Jesus’ decisive question:
”But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth” (Lk
18:8)?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father in heaven,
at times the force of evil is so overwhelming
that our faith is shaken.
We doubt the reality of salvation and we falter.
We lift up our hands in prayer of supplication
as the afflictions and cries for justice in today’s world assail us.
Our hearts are broken and vulnerable
to the death-dealing situations that confront our daily discipleship.
Together with the importunate widow who fights for her right,
may we, the disciples of your Son Jesus,
never despair and lose hope
that justice will be done on our behalf.
Strengthen us in hope.
May we truly believe that you will secure the rights
of those who turn to you in prayer and faith.
And when our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man,
comes at the end-time,
may he find us praying unceasingly without losing heart.
Above all, at his definitive coming,
may he see us completely engaged
in promoting your kingdom upon earth
and fighting for the cause of justice and right.
We adore you and trust in you.
We love and glorify you forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“God will see to it that justice is done for his chosen ones speedily. But when the son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray for the victims of violence and injustice in today’s world. Remember today in a special way the martyrs of El Salvador. Pray for those who fight for the cause of justice and right.
B. ACTION PLAN: Read your diocesan paper or parish newsletter, and see how you can respond to the appeal of the poor and needy and do justice as part of the diocesan and parish community.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM