1st Reading – Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4a

How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

The Book of Habakkuk is one of the shorter prophetic writings, yet it grapples with some of the most profound questions of faith. The prophet gives voice to the anguish of the people while also listening for God’s response.

Habakkuk lived at a pivotal moment in Judah’s history, when the Babylonians had expanded their control across the Near East after their victory at Carchemish in 605 BC. These were perilous times; it seemed as though nothing could halt Babylon’s advance, and Judah’s survival was in serious jeopardy. In this context, we can better understand the urgency and poignancy of Habakkuk’s questions about justice, suffering, and God’s plan.

In today’s first reading, the prophet laments the burden of unchecked violence and injustice. Continue reading “Oct 5, 2025: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)” →