27th Sunday C 2007.

The prophet Habakkuk’ vision and prophesy is from around 600 BC.
He heard him complain to God about a pagan, idolater nation that terrorised Judah.
He asked why God’s justice and mercy should allow the wicked to triumph.
After all, the people of Judah acknowledge the true God, even if they are unfaithful and lukewarm in their religious practices.
Outrage and violence is all I see – says the complainer,
and that is something many of us say about our own time.

We say today, what a terrible world we live in; a world full of oppression and violence; the poor and the powerless suffer; the rich and powerful are living it up.

Last week we heard the parable of the rich man and Lazarus who was begging at his gate.
As a nation – I think – we are the rich man.
We waste and throw away enough to feed and clothes a great multitude of poor people.
Who could count what we spend on luxuries
and worst of all on armaments?

Jesus says in the Gospel that faith is a powerful tool:
the material world and even the spirit world obey commands issued in strong faith. Is there such faith in the world?
If there is, why can’t we order the quarrelsome and the bully to stop that we may have peace in the world?
If violence starts with men, why can’t women stop it?
St, Paul said in the second reading, God’s gift is not a spirit of timidity
but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Today is Harvest Sunday.
We give thanks to God for the abundance we have and we try to do something special for the poor.
May we also do all we can to grow in faith
that we may have the power to move mountains.