THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
Sir 35:12-14,16-18: Ps 34:
2 Tim 4:6-8,16-18: Lk 18:9-14
GOD LISTENS TO THE LOWLY
Our first reading describes God as a just judge who listens to the plea of those who cry to him. The scenario created in the first reading is one of a court room where people come to plead their case. In the court room, every accused person has the help of an advocate or lawyer to plead their case.
As the God of Justice, he listens to everybody, especially, those who have no one to speak for them.
The reading talks about the orphan. The Lord will not be deaf to the pleadings of the orphan. The orphan is one who has lost both parents. These two, mother and father, are metaphors for the intellectual faculties of understanding and wisdom. The ability to conceive an idea and translate it into reality. It helps the individual to develop emotions and mature. The presence of a father and mother in the life of a person helps one to develop properly the true emotions and skills for life and love. But the orphan has lost all these and is totally left alone and isolated. When he cries out to the Lord, God will help him.
We too find ourselves orphans as a result of sin or certain decisions we take. We come to a place where we feel our life is on auto-pilot. We feel we can’t make sense of sin. We live our lives in “everything goes fashion”. This is the state of an orphan; when you feel you cannot go on any longer and the demands of being a Christian is too much for you.
But there is good news. God is just and merciful. We have a God who is not deaf to our cries. He knows our situation and will listen to us. Are you in the situation of an orphan? Cry out to him, he will surely listen.
The widow, like the orphan, has also lost someone. But unlike the orphan, she has lost a husband. It would seem less severe than that of the orphan but quite the opposite. The situation of the widow is worse. It is a shattering experience. It is a state of total loss. In the Jewish community, the husband is her security, pride, providence and social status. To lose a husband is to lose almost everything. Even in our day, if you know a widow, you will know that,that loss can never be soothed. Sometimes they are so crushed they can’t even speak or wail for their loss. Their life is almost at an end. Sometimes they no longer have feelings of attachments.
We must be rest assured that when we find ourselves in the state of widows, God is available to us. When we feel shattered and crushed, God can and will make us whole when we call out to him. When we have lost everything, our security, pride and dignity, and don’t even know what to do, God is ready to help. He alone can restore your dignity because he redeemed you not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ Jesus (1 Pt 1:18-19). When we cannot pray any longer, who else can help us than God. He alone is the true husband of our lives and souls. He wants to come alive in our lives once more. Are you ready?
There are two other category of people whose prayers God hastens to hear.
He hears the cry of those who serve Him willingly. I think the underlining word here is “willingly”. This refers to the selflessness and dedication we bring to serving God. Our service in the house of God never goes unrewarded. When we serve God willingly, we learn to be obedient to his commandments, are able to fellowship with other Christians and, develop and grow our relationship with God. God never forgets those who serve him. Are you in service in your church? Keep it up, you are special to God. If you are not, try to get involved.
The lowly compels the Heavens to respond. The lowly, in other words, the humble gets the heavens restless with their concerns and petitions. We are all called to humility and sincerity in our lives.
God is just and shows no partiality, but he has a soft spot for those who have no one and are totally dependent on him. All the people we speak of today, are those who are considered defenseless and put all their hope, trust, security in God alone. God promptly listens to those who have no one but him. He is always near to those who are shattered by life but seek him in humility and sincerity of heart.
May our yearning be for the Lord alone. May we find the inspiration to serve him sincerely and in humility in the various opportunities of service in our churches.
God bless you.
Rev. Fr Delight Arnold Carbonu
