TWENTY SEVENTH  SUNDAY

1. We  listened to the lamentation through the prophet Habakkuk. Now listen to them  again, but not about the people of Israel. Listen to them as if they  were said by people in 2004. They are being said by the Chechens and Iraqis,  Afghanis and Jews, Palestinians and Sudanese today.

How long shall I cry for help and you will not  listen

There is Violence and you will not  save

Destruction and violence are before  me

Strife and contention  arise.

Their cries are so real, painful and brings tears to  our years 1000s of miles away here in North  America. Why do we still want war and violence. Haven’t we been able  to learn after 2500 years !! When will we ever  learn?

2. To  these people as to the people of God so many years ago, God promises relief and  help. If only we can have FAITH to hold on. The Faith that is encouraged and  advised by the prophet Habakkuk is not one of Dogmas and Doctrines - but a  faithfulness which does not give up hope. It is more in keeping with the Faith  described in the letter to the Hebrews - Faith is the assurance of promises of  things still unseen. During the week we have been listening to readings of the  prophet Job.  He said, “know that my  Redeemer lives - in my body I shall look on God my saviour.” It was a complete  and utter confidence that God would and does keep the promises that God has  made. This promise is made to suffering humanity today. The problem is that God  is asking us for patience, for stamina in time of difficulties. How long O Lord,  how long.

3. In the  second reading however, the letter to Timothy - faith takes on a new  development.  Scripture scholars tell us  that this letter was not written by Paul but by a writer who carried on the  tradition of Paul. It was written several decades after the Apostle Paul had  died. But it has the same spirit and mind set of Paul. While he was alive,

Paul personally could keep in check the various churches that he visited.

Paul would encourage them to keep the faith that was handed down through the Apostles.

Paul could and did bring back on the right path, if anyone strayed.  Paul tells us in the letter to the Ephesians  chapter 3 that he knew the breadth and the length, the height and the depth of  the Love of Christ. He was on the right track.

Now Paul is not on the scene. There is need to  consolidate the faith and put fences around so that people do not go astray.  They did this in two steps.

First : those who would proclaim the Word of God would  be ordained by the laying on of hands. The community did this to Paul and  Barnabas as we have seen in the Acts of the  Apostles.

Second: The faith would not be defined by a  set of doctrines and words to which the believers would have to give  credence.

4. Ernst  Kasemann the Scripture Scholar would say this was the beginning of Catholicism -  and he did not say this in a complimentary way. Steps are taken to make sure  that the authentic faith would be promulgated. There is a good and down side to  every one of these.

4^{a There  was control. The good side was that orthodoxy was kept. The down side was that  anyone who disagreed or even asked questions was condemned. This was often done,  swiftly and harshly and without the questioner being able to defend  themselves.}

^{4b There was security. You knew what was the correct teaching . The down  side was there was no freedom to follow the prompting of the Holy spirit. There  was a certain amount of arrogance in thinking that the Holy Spirit spoke  directly and only to the Hierarchy and not to the man in the pew, much less to  the woman in the laity.}

^{4c  There was apparently no confusion. You knew what was right and what was wrong. The down side was  that people are not put into compartments. There are a lot of grey areas in our  ways of action.}

^{These are pictures painted in broad strokes  - and are worthwhile our discussion and sharing of  ideas.}

^{And so in our Second reading, Timothy who  is the Bishop in Ephesus is given a two fold mandate. The first  is to preserve the faith that was handed down from the Apostles. He was to add  or subtract nothing. The second was that this Faith was living and growing. It  was not static. Therefore it had to be unpacked in different ages and in  different cultures in a language that people could understand and in which they  could express their faithfulness to God and God’s people.}

^ 

^{5.  In March this year, one of the Canadian newspapers reported the story of  a woman in Swaziland, Africa. She had the unique name of Rejoice  Hlatjwako.  Her first name suited her  personality and her work. Mrs. Rejoice and two other woman have an open fire  each day. On this they cook meals for about 300 orphans. These are children of  parents who have died of Aids. She gets no external help. In between feeding the  orphans, she plants corn and vegetables to keep food on the table for these 300.  Her explanation is “I am no special person. I am just a Christian, a faithful  person.}

^{For Mrs. Rejoice it is not}

^{a question of  charity}

^{a matter of doing social  work}

^{a question of doing  good.}

^{Rather following the Prophet Amos in last Sunday’s reading: he said remember the Line of Joseph. For Mrs. Rejoice - she remembers  that these orphans are children of her tribe, her nation. They are not just  orphans, they are her orphans. They are not just children but her children. Why  should she call on outsiders to feed them. She is as she describes herself: A  faithful person - and I would add a faith - filled person. In her case as Jesus  describes in the gospel, the faith which is the size of a mustard seed has grown  into the huge tree which Jesus said faith could cast into the sea. However it is  not cast anywhere. It grows right there and gives shelter not to the birds of  the air - but the orphans in her village. “I am not special, I am just a  Christian, I am just being faithful.  Would that we were all faithful - and  faith filled.}