When life is completed it will look like an intricate mosaic. We are each like a small mosaic tile, insignificant on our own but together become a beautiful image. The image loses perfection with the absence of one single tile. It does not matter which part of the mosaic we sit, even if we are right in the middle. Because alone, we cannot carry the overall beauty of the image of the mosaic. When we live life side by side with one another, we each play a contributing role in the beauty of life. 

Life is this intricate mosaic. We ask for space to fit in among other tiles. At the same time, we must give space to ensure that neighbouring tiles fit in around us. In life, sometimes we ask, sometimes we give. We can sympathise with today’s poor widow asking but often in life we also play the role of the judge, unjust in many ways, often in delaying to give when we can. Other tiles have to wait to fit in around us, and they may wait a long time. 

When we pray to ask God for something in life, he as the Ultimate Giver will want to grant it to us. But he depends also on others to cooperate in the giving. If left up to him alone, there will be no hunger or poverty in this world. But worldly life is a journey towards salvation and on our ticket to this ride, it states that we will all be given a free choice to give and take. We, as “others”, have a choice to exercise our right to give, and how speedily we choose to exercise this right.  

In God’s picture of salvation, each tile has just rights to sit beside each other. This is God’s plan, this his will. Ultimately, we will all fit. This is his faithful promise.

Today he assures us, “will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?” but we “need to pray continually and never lose heart” or “to pray always without becoming weary”.  

In asking, we can and will be tired of waiting because of our human nature. But because we live in faith journeying towards the promise of eternal salvation, we must not grow weary or lose heart. The answer will come.  

In giving, we can soothe the tiredness of others by reducing the time of their waiting when we give speedily. We as a single mosaic tile must polish our rough edges so that other tiles can fit in beautifully around us. “Giving” is this polish. This is the wisdom from the second reading today, “the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” as we have a capacity to be a dedicated giver “fully equipped and ready for any good work”. 

Life in motion is the dynamics of asking and giving, each person co-existing next to one another. The perfect mosaic of salvation is to have every tile smoothened on its edges in place, all together forming an image that tells a perfect story of our journey together to claim salvation. God, the ultimate giver himself provides his Love as fuel to set life in motion, and the glue that hold all the tiles in place in picture perfect harmony. 

Moses, on journey in the first reading, is this image of perfect harmony. He raised his arms up till they were tired in asking but he never grew weary because he knew of God’s love. As he asked, he was also giving; his tiredness pushed his capacity to its limits. Through his giving “the edge of the sword of Joshua cut down Amalek and his people”. 

For us to be the one tile in the mosaic of life, we must not be weary in asking nor tired in giving.

 

 

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time