Bible Study for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Readings: Habakkuk 1:2–3; 2:2–4 • Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9 • 2 Timothy 1:6–8, 13–14 • Luke 17:5–10
The Cry of the Prophet: Habakkuk’s Lament
The first reading throws us into the prophet Habakkuk’s raw prayer: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen!” (1:2). He sees violence and injustice everywhere. God seems silent.
But God responds with a vision: the wicked will collapse, but “the just one, because of his faith, shall live” (2:4). Habakkuk is told to wait—it will come in its appointed time.
This sets the theme for the day: living faith, not in easy times but in the storm.
The Psalm: Do Not Harden Your Hearts
Psalm 95 picks up this theme. Israel had tested God in the desert at Meribah and Massah, doubting Him even after the Exodus. The psalm warns us: don’t repeat their mistake. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Placed after Habakkuk, the Psalm deepens the message: God’s people are to listen, trust, and remain open, even when God’s ways are hidden.
Paul to Timothy: Rekindle the Flame
The second reading brings us to Paul’s final exhortations in 2 Timothy. Facing death, Paul tells his young co-worker: “Stir into flame the gift of God… God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but of power and love and self-control” (1:6–7).
Paul knows that Christian leadership—and Christian life—requires courage. He charges Timothy to guard the “good treasure” of faith handed on to him (1:14). This echoes Habakkuk: live by faith. It echoes the Psalm: don’t harden your heart.
Here the Church is reminding us that faith is not a possession to be put on a shelf. It must be rekindled, guarded, and lived with courage.
The Gospel: Faith as a Mustard Seed
In Luke 17, the apostles beg Jesus: “Increase our faith!” His response is startling: faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot a mulberry tree. In other words: it’s not about quantity but authenticity. Even a small faith, if real, unleashes divine power.
Then Jesus drives the point home with a parable: a servant who does his duty doesn’t expect praise. He simply says, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do” (17:10).
Faith is not a ticket to applause or spiritual fireworks. It is humble, persevering obedience to God, day in and day out.
Why These Readings Together?
The Lectionary always weaves a theological tapestry:
Habakkuk shows us the posture of waiting in faith amidst injustice.
Psalm 95 teaches us to keep soft hearts, not repeating Israel’s rebellion.
2 Timothy shows how that faith is rekindled, guarded, and passed on in the Church.
Luke clarifies the nature of true faith: even small, it is powerful, and it expresses itself in humble obedience.
The theme is clear: faith is fidelity—trusting, listening, guarding, and serving.
The Place in the Liturgical Year
We are moving toward the close of Ordinary Time. The readings in these late weeks of Year C (Luke’s Gospel) shift the focus from Christ’s identity to what it means to live as His disciple. Soon, the Church year will culminate in apocalyptic themes: vigilance, judgment, the Kingship of Christ.
This Sunday is part of that crescendo: preparing us to endure trials, remain faithful, and live obediently while awaiting Christ’s return. Habakkuk says: “The vision will not disappoint.” The Gospel says: “Even small faith is enough, if it is lived faithfully.”
Take-Aways for Today
Faith is not about spectacle but fidelity. A mustard seed of real trust outweighs mountains of spiritual theatrics.
Trials are the testing ground of faith. Like Habakkuk, we can lament, but we must also trust God’s vision.
Faith must be rekindled. As Paul tells Timothy, stir the flame, guard the deposit, and reject cowardice.
Faith is lived in humble obedience. We don’t serve God to win applause but because He is God and we are His servants.
A Closing Reflection
The Church paired these readings so that we would not confuse faith with feelings, numbers, or applause. Faith is fidelity—clinging to God’s word in the storm, listening when His voice seems silent, guarding the treasure of truth, and serving Him humbly.
Placed here, as the liturgical year turns toward its climax, the readings call us to maturity: disciples who endure, obey, and wait with trust for the vision that will not disappoint.