August 7, 2016

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time C ’16
Wisdom 18: 6-9; Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19; Luke 12: 32-48
How often do I feel that I am the one in charge in my world? How often am I aware of the needs of the
people I work with…live with…go to school with…play with? It probably is a very universal that each of
us have ‘gotten in trouble’ with loved ones: when we were unaware of their feelings or how my actions
were interpreted by them and how these actions negatively affected them? Words like, ‘Didn’t you know
that I was concerned about you, and you didn’t call?…Why couldn’t you have called and told me you were
going to be late?…You seem to be insensitive to my feelings and my needs?…You didn’t think of me?…So
often these statements take us completely by surprise…true we never did think about the ‘other’. We ask,
‘How can I get in such deep trouble when I was trying to help this person in need?
Do I ever stop and spend time reflecting on what are my priorities in life? Do I ever ask the ‘important
people’ who share their life with me, what is important to them? Or do I just assume that I know what their
response will be? WHAT happens to us in these circumstances? We normally become defensive…we may
pout…or strike back…we feel hurt because we have no intention of hurting or disrupting but my situation
in life is close to ‘another WW III’. I can ask a deeper question…Do I have faith? And I can say YES…
where is my faith…who do I believe…where is the focus of my faith?
The readings are asking me today, Do I believe in God and in His goodness and in His love, care and
mercy? I’m refocusing the readings to talk about my faith in God. If the world was to end today, what
would I be doing for the rest of the day? If I had hours left in my life, what loved ones would I spend time
with and what would I say? Would fear be; the major component of my last hours or would it be
anticipation? God has promised and Paul expresses it so beautifully in verses 35-39 of Romans 8, (I am
using J.B.Phillips translation of The New Testament in Modern English, Msgr Chet Michael’s favorite
translation of Paul’s letters): “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble pain or persecution? Can
lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms? Indeed some off us know the truth of that
ancient texts: For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No,
in all these things we win an overwhelming victory thorough Him who has proved His love for us.
I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth,
neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor
anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
Paul is telling the Hebrews that everyone must be prepared for we are the ones who are anxious about our
life and are looking for some sort of a guarantee that all will turn out well. Paul directs our attention to
Abraham who traveled to an unknown land because he knew that the one who made the promise was
trustworthy. He had been promised that he would found a new nation and he trusted in the test that God put
in front of Him. And God fulfilled all His promises. Why did Abraham believe…he believed that God
wanted him to? How was this possible? Faith…we call it faith. Everything in my life comes down to the
fact that God first loved me and each one of us. He wants each one to be with Him forever. He gave us the
way to accomplish this. Each of us is on a journey and our journeys are different, every path is not the
same. God is calling each of us to the path that will lead to Him.
Homilies For Life has expressed this so succinctly and beautifully. “ Faith exists on a whole separate level. If
faith is a journey, and the Lord is the way, then statements of faith —- as in our Creed —- are the signs along the way.
They keep us going in the right direction. They are like protective guardrails keeping us from wandering off the path
keeping us from wandering through mountains deserts, and swamps. So, do we subscribe to the idea that it doesn’t
matter what we believe as long as we’re nice? Or will we allow our lives to be shaped and guided by the great
statements of faith found in the Creed, something we profess every single week without batting an eye? And I can
assure you, if we allow these statements to shape who we are, we will never see the world the same again. Our
whole existence will take on a level of meaning, beauty, and richness which is beyond our wildest expectations.
If we do that our Creed will become more than just words. Then we say:
We believe in the creator of heaven and earth, we will know that the world is basically good, and that true
possibilities exist for it to be a place of love, hope and peace.
When we say we believe in God the Father, we will know that we have a God who cares, who loves us more than we
can imagine, and that we have a home that we can go back to.
When we say we believe that Jesus became man, we will know that the gap between God and humanity has been
closed forever, and that true friendship and love of and with God is possible.
When we say we believe that Jesus suffered and died for us, we will know that nothing in this life can truly harm us,
nothing is to be feared, for Jesus has shown us that He will be with us to help us get through the difficulties of this life
—— even death itself.
When we say we believe that Christ rose from the dead, we will know life is not futile, it has a purpose, and that
eternal life with God is our destiny too.
And when we say we believe in the Church, the Communion of Saints, and the forgiveness of sins, we will know
that we are one family, we are not alone, no mistakes are fatal, God gives us as many chances as we need, and that we
are here to support one another in love.
So how can we say that what we believe really doesn’t make a difference? It did for Abraham, and it does for us too.
This is an incredible faith, an incredible gift, and for it we should be truly thankful. This day, let’s pledge to try to truly
live in the light of what our Creed teaches us. If we do that, anything’s possible.. And if we struggle with some of the
statements —- either believing them or living out their implications —- well, God understands that too. And let’s
especially pray for the grace to be a little bit more like Abraham, a little more hopeful, a little more trusting, a little more
secure in the knowledge that we are in the embrace of our loving God. Believe it or not!
So I reflect on:
• What journey of faith have I been on? What has been my route? Who have been my companions?
• According to Hebrews, Abraham and Sarah’s motto might be ‘Life is short; put God first.’ Do I?
• Tolkien in Lord of the Rings writes, “All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by frost.”
Sacred Space 2016 shares:
The ordinary attitude of the Christian is to be awake, alert, and attentive, sensitive to the prompting of God’s Spirit and
aware of God’s
action in the world. I take some time in my prayer to be quiet so that I may hear the Master’s knock. In all the noise
that surrounds me, where might it be that the Lord is close, ready to be with me more fully?
The role reversal on the part of the Master, who serves those slaves who were awake and alert, says much about God’s
gracious bounty and generosity. In discipleship there is no room for complacency or half-heartedness. The
commitment required is total, and the reward is equally great. The lit lamps symbolize the alertness required of us.
How is my lamp?”