HOMILY ANECDOTE:
“A woman once approached John Wesley (1703-1791), Anglican theologian and the founder of the Methodist denomination, with an interesting question: “Suppose you knew for certain that you were going to die and meet your Maker at the stroke of midnight tomorrow,” she said. “How would you spend your time between now and then?” Wesley replied, “Well, madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I will preach this evening at Gloucester and again at five tomorrow morning. After that I will ride to Tewkesbury to preach in the afternoon and meet with the societies in the evening. Then I’ll go home to dinner, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 p.m., commend myself to God, lie down to rest and wake up to GLORY!”
When he had been similarly questioned, Martin Luther 1483-1546), replied, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my little apple tree and pay my debts.”
Centuries before Luther and Wesley, Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), was hoeing his garden when one of his brothers in Christ put the same question to him. “Come what may,” he answered, “I would finish hoeing my garden.” In a sense, the Scripture readings for today invite each member of the gathered assembly to become engaged in a similar reflection. What would you do if you knew that this day would be your last? What would you not do? How would you prepare to meet God? Where would you go? With whom would you spend your remaining hours? (Patricia D Sanchez).
All are called to hasten on the path of salvation. For the people of old to enter the promise land which is a prefiguration of heaven, they must be freed from the night of slavery in Egypt which signifies sin and corruption (Ist reading). This path to salvation was the one taken by Abraham who moved from the Pagan land of Ur to a promise land he never knew. He obeyed the voice that called him and moved on the wing of faith (2nd reading). For the children of the new covenant, the journey to heaven must be accompanied with vigilant faith (Gospel).
FIRST READING (Wisdom 18, 6-9):
The book of Wisdom was written by a faithful and learned Jew living in cosmopolitan Alexandria in Egypt about a century before the era of Jesus. His main focus was to bolster the faith of his fellow Jews living in diaspora and who were sometimes ignorant of the faith of their fathers. The author espoused the concept of the God of providence who showed himself a God that protected his Chosen People throughout their history, especially during the time of their enslavement in Egypt and during their Exodus to freedom and the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses. The chapter 18 we read today interpretes the experience of the Israelites as recorded in Exodus chapters 11 and 12 where, while the angel of the Lord was striking down the first-born of Pharaoh and other Egyptians, the vigilant Hebrew slaves were both obediently offering grateful sacrifice to the Lord and eating the meat of the lamb to fortify themselves for their coming escape. That night was the first Passover and the night of all nights. It was a glorious night that saw their liberation.
Like the Israelites in captivity, we have been called to look to the future with living hope even though it may be obscure and uncertain. It is only our steadfast Faith that will serve as a lamp showing the way. The hope for what lies ahead of us can only be sustained by faith even when we do not see any signs of the fulfillment of God’s promises.
As the author of the book of Wisdom reminded the diaspora Jews about the experience of their fathers, we are equally reminded that we also have been set free from slavery of sin through the Pascal mystery of Christ. Thus we can now live the present with the hope of eternity.
SECOND READING (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19):
This passage is taken from the end of the Letter to the Hebrews. In the same line with the first reading, the author takes his audience (Jewish Christian) back to the foundation and origin of their faith. He catechises them on religious Faith as “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).
The citation of their ancestors is the author’s way of affirming the authenticity of his message. He projected them as models of authentic faith; those who believed in promises yet to be fulfilled. The patriarch, Abraham was childless pagan in Ur of the Chaldees (modern Iraq). Abraham heard the voice of God summoning him to a different land, where God promised to grant him many descendants. By faith Abraham left his homeland, accepted God’s promise that his descendants would form a great nation, and was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac at God’s command. Despite obstacles and setbacks, Abraham stayed obedient, “for he thought that the One Who had made the promise was trustworthy” (Heb 11:11). The first century Jewish Christians were ostracized from Temple worship (sacrifices, priesthood, rituals), of mainline Judaism. To bolster their Faith, the author provided a complex treatise showing that, in their new life in Christ, they were more than compensated for what they had lost. They were given the assurance that Christ’s promises for his believers exceeded the promises given to their Jewish ancestors.
GOSPEL: (Luke 12: 32-48)
The Gospel readings contains several warnings from Jesus about the need to be focused on the call to righteousness. In other words, the call to righteousness is not meant for lukewarm Christians but for those who are active. The whole of this section (vv. 32-48) of the chapter 12 of the gospel of Luke promises hope, and was therefore of special interest to Luke’s church, which was suffering persecution. It was also of special interest to this church that was looking for the Parousia (Second Coming) for many years and was beginning to wonder when it will take place.
However, in the first part of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells of what our real treasure should be and how we may keep it safe. The treasure God offers is of far greater value and is more secure than any earthly treasure. Nevertheless, it is possible for us to lose this treasure if we do not guard it carefully. The treasure is the relationship with God, which the Lord offers us in His promise of eternal life. But this treasure can be stolen by the devil or lost by a lack of vigilance in the midst of our temptations.
In the second part of today’s Gospel, Jesus exhorts his followers to be steadfast in their Faith and ever vigilant. He explains his point using three mini-parables. The servants of a master were entrusted with the management of the household. In Jesus’ day, although stewards were slaves, they had almost unlimited power. A trusted steward ran his master’s house and administered his estate. When his master was not at home, the steward was ever vigilant. He prepared himself for his master’s return at any time of the day or night by always doing his duties faithfully. Jesus illustrates the same point using another mini parable of the wise servants waiting for the return of their master after a wedding feast.
LIFE MESSAGES:
1. Why do we look for Christ to return?
There are many reasons. One would be our devotion to him. Another would be our return to earth after death in the “resurrection of the dead.” As Christians, we believe not only in life after death, we also believe that God will reunite our souls and bodies together at the end of time. At the resurrection of the body, we will have a body like Christ’s, a “spiritual body.” (CCC, 1016, 1017).
2. What kind of steward does God expects us to be?
God expects us Christians to be accountable, faithful and productive stewards of God’s grace and His gifts to us of creation, life, body, talents, skills, wealth and possessions. Thus in order that the Lord will find us responsible, faithful and productive stewards when he comes in glory, let us avoid some of these pitfalls and mistakes while awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior: First, complacency in that Jesus’ return is not yet imminent. Second, idleness or sloth–doing nothing. Third, gross negligence in the performance of duties. Fourth, procastination —always postponing to another day what can be done today. Fifth, abuse of power and position and squandering of resources. Sixth, the mañana habit– starting our work, but fading away and quitting; a lack of perseverance. (The name is taken from the quip, “Mañana may translate to “tomorrow,” but it really means “not today!”)
3. We must religiously perform the tasks required of us and fulfill our role as stewards:
First, protect, preserve and conserve all Gods’ gifts entrusted to us. Second, develop to the maximum all the spiritual, material and physical resources entrusted to our care. Third, communicate and share all the fruits and benefits of the gifts and talents we preserved, developed and cultivated. Good stewards will be generously rewarded, while bad stewards will be severely punished and will suffer a great loss. “The reward or punishment will be proportioned to the powers, gifts, opportunities, and knowledge of the offenders.” As Scripture says: “everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required”; cf. Mt 5:19-20; 7:21-22; 25:41-46; Jas 2:14. Whenever the Lord comes, will he find us responsible, faithful and productive stewards or lazy, abusive and unfaithful stewards? Can we give him a good account of our stewardship?
4. We need to be vigilant and ready to face the Lord.
One of the traditional means for remaining alert is prayer. The most important element in prayer is listening to God – an attitude of attention to the “tiny whispering sound” of the Lord (1 Kgs 19:11-12). Such attentiveness demands that we set aside a quiet time every day during which we can tune our ears to the Divine sounds of love, harmony and peace. Let us recall the words of the Book of Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me” (3:20).
5. We need to wait for the Lord.
“Waiting for Christ to return” means working for the coming of the Kingdom of God. This means doing God’s will by rendering humble service to others, by combating poverty, by ending the hatred that divides us, by establishing peace among individuals and nations, by curbing the pride that causes us to become confrontational, and by building social structures that respect the dignity of individual humans. We must wait for the Lord in our daily lives by learning to see Jesus in the least of our brothers and sisters. In other words, we must be prepared to serve Jesus in whatever form he takes. What we frequently discover in “serving” other people is that God comes to us through them.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus we have proven to be slow and relaxing in our faith. We are often distracted by the worries of this life that tend to deviate our attention from that eternal focus. Help us today to hasten our steps towards the promise of eternal life. You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
