Deacon Matt's Reflection

Reflection for 29th Sunday in   Ordinary Time: October 16, 2022

Exodus 17:8-13: This short  passage has within it a good example of the power of religious objects and symbols that remind us of the Presence and nearness of God to protect, guide, comfort and encourage us in times of trouble and danger. In this passage, the Israelites need only look up to the top of the hill to see Moses with the “staff of God” in his hand. Seeing the staff of God reminded the Israelis Whom they were fighting for, or Whom was giving them strength for battle: God, our Creator! When we, as Catholics, see a crucifix or statue, we’re reminded also of God’s Presence or whom is on our side, cheering us on, amid life’s struggles. Our God is always and ever present to assist us and to love us!

Psalm 121: “Our help is from the Lord, Who made Heaven and Earth.” In today’s first reading, we see where our help comes from… from God! Now, the psalmist reminds us to acknowledge God with a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving for His powerful and eternal beneficence toward us. We’re told in this psalm to take courage and have confidence in our God. We’re reassured that God never sleeps and that our Blessed Trinity is always available to comfort and help us. Reflect also this week that each and all of us have our own special guardian angel, assigned to us, especially for our unique needs. Let’s let that thought comfort us in times of great distress, when we’re feeling overwhelmed and inadequate to manage the daunting circumstances of our lives. Through light and darkness and through time and eternity, our God always has our back; protecting us and loving us, now and forever. Contemplate that!

2 Tim: 3:14-4:2: St. Paul comforts us today with his reminder that the Scriptures also are a symbol of and actual embodiment of God’s Presence. Scripture serves  as a conduit of God’s grace and healing power. Scripture can give us wisdom for dealing with the stressors and challenges of our lives if we read them, listen to their message and pray for guidance. Moreover, we’re told that after reading Scripture and pondering its message, we must all become symbols of God’s Presence, via our obedience to God’s Commands and our faithful lives of love and service to others. With Scriptural reflection and  practicing obedience to the   faith, we grow in wisdom. Thus, we’re not only called to see and recognize the symbols of God around us. Now, we’re called and mandated to be symbols of God and conduits of His grace,      ourselves. That’s a lot to contemplate!

Luke 18:1-8: Consider that our prayers aren’t always answered to our satisfaction, immediately. There are times when we’ve wondered if God has been listening to our prayers, or if God is saying, “no” to our petition. Today, Jesus shares with us this parable to reassure us that we’re always heard. Jesus encourages us to pray always and to persist in prayer; never giving up. Jesus conveys the great confidence in God that we’re called to have, ourselves. He promises that God always secures justice and a fair decision that will satisfy the yearnings and objectives of His holy disciples. Here’s where we must persevere in faithful prayer.  Instead of praying for exactly what we think we want, or for what we think should happen; let’s surrender and abandon ourselves to God. Let’s pray simply and confidently for God’s Will to be done, unto us and by us, now and forever.

Trust God!
Deacon Matt