NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Stand Ready in Faith
It is surprising how many people live in fear: fear of illness, fear of losing their beloved ones, fear of their own death, fear of today, fear of tomorrow. Jesus assures us: “Do not fear! Do not give up your hope! Have faith!” Even when we go through difficult days, we should never give up our faith and hope; we should always stay alert to the Lord and to his loving coming among us. In this eucharist we ask the Lord to keep us always attentive to his presence.
First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9
Decades before, when Egypt had decided to kill the innocent infants
of your people, Lord, one of the babies, Moses, was overlooked and then
saved. Years later, you dispatched a multitude of Egyptian firstborns and
did the same to the Egyptian army, drowning them in a sudden flood. Our
ancestors had some intimation of what would happen the night of that
first Passover, but they had confidence in their commitments to you and
were confident in yours to them. When things actually happened as you
had said, it brought them some measure of relief, stiffening their resolve
to rely on the promises you’d already made them.
Thus a measure of justice was restored and the enemies of your people
were being annihilated. You punished them and rewarded your people
in one fell swoop; indeed, you went out of your way to do it. All during
this wretched time, your good people maintained their sacrificial schedule;
they even managed to get complete agreement on the Law of Moses.
They’d be faithful in good times and bad, and they’d retain the ancient
hymns of praise.
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.” Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.
Gospel: Luke 12:32-48
Jesus said to his disciples, Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.
“Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
“Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He’ll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. It doesn’t matter what time of the night he arrives; they’re awake—and so blessed!
“You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don’t you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don’t expect him, the Son of Man will show up.”
Peter said, “Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?”
The Master said, “Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he’s doing his job. But if he says to himself, ‘The master is certainly taking his time,’ begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the
“The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
Prayer
Lord God, unseen and yet the ground
of all reality, of all that counts,
we seek security and certainty,
something we can see and hold on to.
It is fearful for us to walk in the dark
and confusing not to know where the road leads.
Be truly our God in whom we trust:
Help us to serve you faithfully in the present
and to be ready to follow you in the future.
Take us by the hand
and guide us through all obstacles
to the land of your promise.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.