TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
October 20, 2013
GOSPEL READING: Luke 18: 1-8
Jesus told
his disciples a parable
about the
necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said,
"There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'
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,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
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?
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?"
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'
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,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
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?
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?"
FIRST READING: Exodus 17:8-13
In those
days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men,
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."
So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
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.
Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men,
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."
So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
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.
Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 121:1-8
R.
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and
earth.
I lift up
my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made
heaven and earth.
R. Our 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,
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the
guardian of Israel.
R. 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.
R. 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.
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
SECOND
READING: Second Timothy 3:14-4:2
Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
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 through all patience and teaching.
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
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 through all patience and teaching.
REFLECTIONS
Somehow
each day God shows up with new mercy, with enough strength for the next 24 hours.
Having
Jesus by your side doesn’t mean that nothing bad happens. Or that you have to
be happy all the time, it just means that whatever comes your way you don’t
have to go through anything alone and you don’t have to rely on your strength.
When Jesus is present you don’t
have to rely on your own strength because you can lean into his.
Ponder: What are you going through in your life
right now that you need to rely on God’s strength to get through?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you to hold me because I
can’t go through this on my own. Give me strength when I’m weary, joy when I’m
mourning and hope when I feel only despair. Amen.
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