A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings

Habakkuk 2:1-4,9-20

In this passage, God justifies his judgment. The prophet Habakkuk stands at his watchpost, stationed himself on the rampart, and keeps watch to see what the Lord will say to him concerning his complaint. The Lord informs Habakkuk that there is still a vision for the people that is true, appropriate, and conclusive. The Lord also requests Habakkuk to share this personal experience with the larger community. The vision makes it clear that the spirit of the arrogant is consumed with idolatry and is not right with God but that the spirit of the humble is rooted in righteousness and faithfulness to God. The evil will be put to shame, they will labor in vain, they will be consumed by their own wrath, and they will forfeit their very life. The warning is given that all must drink from the Lord’s cup of judgment. Behold the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!

  1. Is there a place in our home, workplace or classroom where we daily wait upon the Lord to speak to us? If so, what deeper symbolism does that sacred space represent for us? If not, then why have we not set apart a space in our life to receive God’s word?

  2. Is it permissible for a Christian to complain? Explain.

  3. How has God responded to your complaints?

  4. What vision do you have for your life? Is the vision true or is it a lie? Does the vision reflect your current life situation or does it appear to be disconnected from it? What conclusion can you draw from your life’s vision? How does God fit into this vision?

  5. Is it possible to make others see and hear what we ourselves are not able to see and hear? Explain. How might this reality encourage us to focus on our personal encounter with God?

  6. In what ways have you shared your personal experience(s) with the larger community? What has been the result of this?

  7. Do any of these describe  you: 1) you feel like your labor is in vain, 2) you are consumed by wrath, 3) you feel like giving up / giving in? What might these feelings suggest about your alignment with God’s purpose for your life?

  8. What will be your biggest fear when you are asked to drink from the Lord’s cup of judgment?

  9. How does the noise in your life keep you from hearing God’s voice and experiencing the peace that comes from worshiping God in his holy temple? What steps can you take to observe silence in your life?

James 2:14-26

What good is it if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

  1. Define ‘faith’? Do you have faith? What do you have faith in?

  2. What ‘works’ is Jame’s referring to in this passage?

  3. Do your ‘works’ reflect your ‘faith’?

  4. What bodily needs do we all have?

  5. There are five levels in Maslow's pyramid. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization. Do you agree with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Explain.

  6. Why should the bodily needs of others shape how you minister to them?

  7. Is faith without works useless? Explain.

  8. How did Abraham work out his faith? How did Rahab work out her faith? How have you worked out your faith?

Luke 16:19-31

This passage gives us the story of the relationship between a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. The rich man was dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. At this gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

  1. Do you consider yourself rich or poor? Why?

  2. Should you compare and contrast your lifestyle to those around you? Why or why not?

  3. When you compare and contrast your lifestyle to those around you, what insights do you gather? What might this suggest about your personal value in society? Is this suggestion a truth or a lie? Explain.

  4. Define ‘Hades’ and ‘Heaven’. What is the difference between the two? Based on how we have lived our life thus far, where might we find ourselves - in Hades or Heaven?

  5. Is it possible to amend our life after we die? Why do you feel this way? What does this Biblical passage suggest about this?

  6. Are we listening to the cries of the poor and needy? How have their voices shaped what we do with our time, talents and treasure? 

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+



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