XXIXth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Massimo Palombella
In today’s Gospel (Lk 18:1-8) Jesus returns once again to the theme of faith, focusing on the aspect of our “asking” the Lord.
The parable of the insistent widow and the judge who did not fear God draws attention to a dimension necessary for an authentic relationship with God (but fundamentally for every relationship) and that is continuity, insistence. Indeed, it is precisely through focusing on a goal and ‘asking’, activating a process for the pursuit of the goal, that slowly, within a (imperfect and even immature) relationship, we educate our desire and mature ourselves in the relationship itself.
Thus, in this process, we become capable of accepting, metabolising and transforming into a resource that which we initially wished to change, to remove from us. And, in the process, we slowly move from an invented god used despotically for the timely resolution of our problems, to the true God with whom we have a “relationship”, to the true God whom we “trust”.
Our relationship with God, if authentic, slowly involves every aspect of our existence, opens sealed doors, leads us beyond the limits others have and we have given ourselves, improves our human relationships, makes us live in abundance.
The Offertory antiphon for today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 118 (Ps 118:47-48) with the following text:
Meditabor in mandatis tuis, quae dilexi valde:
et levabo manus meas ad mandata tua, quae dilexi.
I shall meditate upon your commandments which I greatly love;
I will extend my hands towards your commandments which I love.
The attached music, in Gregorian Chant, is taken from the Graduale Triplex published in Solesmes in 1979. The music track can be found on YouTube where there is no indication of interpretation.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
