Sunday Readings Preview for October 28,2007

The readings can be found at http://www.usccb.org/nab/

Reading 1: Sirach 35:12-14,16-18  Like a mother responding to the cry of her infant child or paramedics responding to a 911 call, God is alert to those in need. This word of divine attention from Sirach, quoted by his grandson in the book named for him, is accompanied by a warning to anyone responsible for the suffering of others. If the mother discovers that her child is crying from being picked on by another child, she will find a way to deal with both of them. Sirach indicates that God will find a way to do the same when people suffer an injustice.

Reading 2: 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18  Paul is imprisoned for the second time in Rome. The political scene is considerably different from the time of his first imprisonment when the Roman government wasn’t really concerned about Christians. This time Nero is emperor. He has, as the story is told, burned down sections of the city of Rome to make way for urban redevelopment. There is a public outcry. Nero needs a scapegoat and blames the fires on Christians. Whether or not that was the actual reason, Nero began a violent persecution against the church in which thousands of Christians, including both Peter and Paul, would be put to death. Paul frequently used the image of runners in a race in his letters (Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Galatians 2:2, Galatians 5:7, Philippians 2:16). He had previously written of the importance to keep running with his eyes focused on the finish line. His statement that he has “finished the race” indicates that he knows his death is imminent.

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisees believed the common people’s practice of their Jewish faith was being watered down by influences from Greek and Roman cultures. The solution? Follow the dictates of the Law down to the details as a public example for others to see and follow. The basic idea was good, but it was easy for a Pharisee to slip into a mindset of feeling justified for observing the Law and to look down on others who did not do so. St. Paul, himself trained as a Pharisee, changed his attitude on justification. Rather than a result of one’s own achievement in following the dictates of the Law (which no one does perfectly), justification comes through Jesus Christ, humbly entrusting one’s life to him and living in relationship to him.