August 11, 2013 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

August 11, 2013 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-10; Luke 12:32-48
I sometimes wonder if I am on the right track. I sometimes wonder how strong my faith is; would I be able to sustain it in times of real trials or temptations. Could I have lived in the time of martyrs in the early church and given witness to faith in Jesus? I wonder if I am ready for heaven and if I am preparing myself the best way that I can? I wonder if it’s ok to have as much ‘wasted time’ in my days as ‘faithful time’. I wonder, I wonder and I wonder.
Today’s reading from the book of Wisdom centers on the Passover account in Egypt. The people had witnessed or heard about the plagues that God was inflicting on the Egyptians and how the Israelites were totally spared. How grateful they were and how they looked back on this account with a deeper faith in God. This is nice to say but they had loads of problems with keeping faithful to the Lord. They were repeatedly unfaithful and the Lord continually had mercy and led them closer to Him. At any rate on this Passover night, in the secrecy of their homes, they shared the Passover meal. They put their trust in the word of God; Pharaoh put his trust in the power and might of Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of the Jews trusted in the God who saves. They trusted...do I reflect on my trust in God? He saves me in so many ways each day, do I reflect on this at the end of the day?
Paul is telling the Hebrews about the faith of Abraham. He was open in mind and heart to God. He was willing to leave home for a place he did not know. His faith was seen in trusting that God would establish His nation through Abraham. Even in the Isaac sacrifice, Abraham showed just how far he would go in trusting that God would provide. Paul describes this faith as ‘the way of holding on to what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see.’ The wonderful writers of ‘Miracle on 34^th Street’ described it in this way: “Faith is believing about something when common sense tells us not to.” These are wonderful statements and great to reflect on but in difficult times, which come up so quickly there isn’t time to reflect. Then I pray. The words from God is in the Tough Stuff really help. “If your prayers seem ineffective...don’t give up on God. Realize that you hold the top position on His ‘to do’ list. Know that He is able to do exceedingly more than you can imagine. And finally, trust Him; acknowledge that His wisdom is greater than yours. His resolution to the situation may be different from what you expect-in timing and results—but it will be better than what you have in mind.”
In the gospel Jesus tells me and everyone Not to Be Afraid. These words are the most comforting words from Jesus. Even though Jesus is being of assistance to His friends and believers about the ‘end times’, He is talking about all the ‘immediate trials’ that come up each day. Don’t be afraid, trust in Him. Just the way Luke puts these words together reveals the tender nature of Jesus’ relationship with His disciples, me and today’s disciples. The Kingdom has been promised. So why worry, place your trust in the Father, “little flock.”
So how do I trust...He tells me to be faithful. How am I faithful, He tells me to be watchful. Watchful for what? Watchful for opportunities to be Jesus; watchful for ways that I can tell about God’s love and concern; watchful for the people that God places in my life and care for them: responsibility demands accountability. Jesus is telling me that time is a gift. It is the greatest gift I have. I can share my time or I can hoard my time. I can be concerned with myself, or I can be alert to the times I am called on to be a witness of Jesus. Now is the time for putting the teachings of Jesus in my life by serving others. Jesus shares in this gospel several short parables and images to draw emphasis to the preciousness of the gift of time. I don’t have all the time in the world...the only time I know I have is this moment...my now time. The gospel shares the brevity of this life how I am to live it in gratitude and service.
Jay Cormier in Connections says, “In baptism, we are called to mirror the servanthood of Jesus by the integrity of our lives; by the realization that what we possess, what we have been given by God, has been entrusted to us not for ourselves but for the creation of God’s kingdom in our time and place. The faithful servant/master/disciple will lovingly use whatever he or she possesses to bring God’s reign of hope, justice and reconciliation to reality in this time and place of ours. Jesus promises that those who keep the kingdom of God before them in all of their relationships, who lead and influence others by the example of their own humble service, who place the common good before their own interests, will find places of honor at the Master’s table at the banquet of heaven.” So how can I be alert every single moment to the ‘love moments’ that are needed? I can’t...I am who I am...and all sorts of situations happen in my life that distract me or get me all tangled up that I just am not alert to the promptings of God. This is true. BUT when I am alert and the situations present them, and then I need to ask for the grace of God for me to ACT and not sit back and say NO. I have to realize that my life does not consist in possessions. I have a chance each day to ‘live as Jesus’. So I reflect on the questions that John Petrikovic, OFM Cap asks in Sunday Homily Helps:

• “Could some time for our parents allow them a little more security about how we’re doing?
  
• Could some time at Church together help a family focus on whom they are living for?
  
• Could some special time for my spouse allow him/her the security of knowing my love and continued commitment?
  
• Could time with grandma allow her to feel less useless or pushed aside?

And he concludes:

Jesus essentially says it all: Stop barking up the tree that has nothing we need, and start paying attention to something---and somebodies who actually matter.”

• So how am I responding to the call to be a trustworthy servant?
• Do I ask each morning ‘How can I be of service to the Lord today?’ Do I end the day in reflecting on what happened?
  

In Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien 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.”