Remaining steadfast in belief, sharing our commitment to the Lord…
Reflections on the readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ World Mission Sunday (October 20, 2019): EX 17:8-13; PS 121:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8; 2 TM 3:14-4:2; LK 18:1-8
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
The necessity for real perseverance in living out various aspects of our faith is expressed throughout today’s liturgy.
In the Book of Exodus and in the Gospel according to Luke we find the importance of enduring in prayer. Moses may be utterly exhausted with his efforts and the widow in Jesus’ parable feels she may never find justice, but both persist and both prevail. God wants us to put ourselves in His hands, even when what we ask for does not come quickly or easily. We need to remember that He alone knows the right time for His will to be done. He wants us to show our confidence in Him through our prayers and our actions. Our Lord loves us now and always. And He wants to know that we, in turn, love Him, and that we understand He will care for us – body and soul – according to His plan.
In addition to the need for persevering in prayer, we must be willing to continue to live out the mission God has chosen for us. Whatever our calling or state in life, we are commissioned to reveal our faith and spread the message of God’s Kingdom. In the letter from Paul to Timothy, we are reminded of the importance of appreciating sacred Scripture and sharing it with others. “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: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage though all patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Whether we are among those who travel the world as missionaries or those who never leave their hometowns, we all have opportunities to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus. And it is not for us to decide if a time is convenient or inconvenient. We need to be ready, willing and able to welcome our neighbors to the knowledge and compassion of our beloved Lord. And we can only succeed if we choose the will of God above our own, over and over again.
On this World Mission Sunday in the Extraordinary Missionary Month, we recall that we too are “baptized and sent” to continue the mission of our Lord. Our prayers and sacrifices on this Sunday join with those offered in churches and chapels around the globe, supporting those who “proclaim the word” and serve the poor persistently, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
