Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 6, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (I Cor 15:14).

St. Paul certainly cannot be faulted for using indirect or unclear words.  If the Father did not raise the Son from the dead, our faith is foolish.  If there was no Resurrection, our faith would be in a risen Christ who really did not rise, and our own resurrection would also be in grave doubt.  What is not always clear are the ways in which different people hear and react to St. Paul’s strong words.

For some people, the religious-sounding familiarity of these words can cause the message to fade into the background.  St. Paul’s words can wind up in a part of our consciousness where they remain unconnected to the more immediate needs of our everyday lives.

For non-Christians, the Resurrection is not part of their belief system, and St. Paul’s words simply do not apply.  At best, Jesus was an honorable man who had many positive things to say.

There are, of course, many empirically-minded skeptics who believe the apostles merely invented the Easter story. As a result, those who believe in the Resurrection are either deceiving themselves or are simply following the crowd.  Skeptics have little patience for obvious myths.

People can hear the words, “Your faith is in vain” from a variety of different perspectives, and can have many different reactions.  But for people who really listen, the words can never be taken for granted.

That is the way it is with all of Scripture.  It is the job of every lector to recognize the power contained in the words and proclaim them with the same conviction that St. Paul wrote them.  In turn, your hearers at Mass will be invited to hear these words in an equally powerful way.

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First Reading  -  Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Harsh Words and Bitter Complaints

In this week’s Reflection on Lectoring, we heard some strong words from St. Paul.  In the first reading, we also hear some really intense words: “How long, O Lord?  I cry for help but you do not listen!”

In all three of the chapters of the Book of Habakkuk, the prophet talks only with God.  Unlike prophets such as Amos and Jeremiah, Habakkuk does not address corrupt kings, false prophets or greedy rich people, only God.  And he is not afraid to ask God some really pointed questions - some might even call these questions angry complaints.  Does this guy really know whom he is talking to?

Today’s reading focuses on Habakkuk’s first complaint and God’s response.

How is it possible for someone to say to God, “I cry out to you, ‘Violence’ but you do not intervene”?  One way to tone this down might be to think of these words as no more than exaggerated religious expression.  Lectors might be especially sensitive to this concern, since harsh words are not normally what you hear at Mass.

Another way to understand these words is to put them in the context of faith.  Only someone who believed in a real, personal and just God could be so direct and challenging.  Check the ending of this reading and you will find that God understands the difference between uncontrolled rashness and a genuine faith expression: “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.”

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Second Reading  -  2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Sorrow and Hope

Where has all the excitement gone?  On Pentecost, the apostles rushed into the streets, unafraid, filled with joy and the Spirit. “And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Now in the Second Letter to Timothy, Paul is in prison in Rome (1:16-17), thinking he is close to death (4:6-8).  Everyone in Asia has deserted him (1:15). And there are useless disputes in the Church (2:14).

The Second Letter to Timothy is a remarkably personal letter that is filled with both sadness and hope.  A thorough preparation for today’s reading should include the reading of all four chapters, especially since parts of this letter will be read at Mass for four consecutive Sundays.

In today’s reading, Paul offers Timothy an echo of the power of Pentecost when he says, “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.”  The reading ends with, “Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.”  For Paul, there is a reason for hope even in the midst of sadness.

© George Fournier 2013