Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 117
Reading 1
The night of the passover was known
beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has
chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
of whom it was said,
“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
Or
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake and be ready!
For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Or
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
We are people of faith and are encouraged to act accordingly. This goes against what is offered to us in this world, where immediate gratification is often sought after and is preferred over something that has to be waited for. What is even more challenging is that, as Christians, that which we wait for often remains unseen and unpalpable. Our physical senses are useless in comparison to our spiritual senses. In other words, we do not do things for reward or recompense, but because it is expected being followers of Jesus Christ. The benefits that come from that will come in the form of spiritual health and the feeling of God’s love within our hearts; an awareness of His presence that makes everything better as a result. All else might appear to be a curse, manifesting in the form of a harder life filled with a denial of many things that would be considered attractive and stimulating to other people. The immediate rewards can appear to be lacking if our faith isn’t strong. To us, less is better, giving is better than receiving, and going without is a reward.
When we recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, we are then commissioned to do His work on this earth until His return or our death, whichever comes first. The work we have before us is never done. Constant vigilance is the key to a joyous life. The joy comes in the preparation and the expectation of the reward, not the reward itself. We already know what the reward is, so there is an understanding that whatever happens to us daily will be of less consequence than what is in store for us in the future, which is eternal life with our God. Everything in the present time is destined to pass into the past, except for God who remains forever. Because we are His children, our fate is the same.
The Apostle James writes in his letter that,
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?”
What good are we, as Christians if we do not follow up on our faith without good works. This is the preparation that Jesus is talking about regarding the master’s return. We are commissioned to build up His kingdom, His house, dutifully expressing our faith by putting it into action. These are not only present in the Corporal Works of Mercy, but the Spiritual Works also. One cannot be put above the other. The work of the hands cannot compensate for the lack of works coming from the mind and spirit. The servants cannot be rewarded for accomplishing one task, while ignoring another goes unnoticed. Each compliment the other. The works of Martha are not complete without the understanding and love of her sister, Mary. The understanding and love that Mary has are not enough without the works of Martha.
These works can become tiresome and overbearing, but they are necessary to make us spiritually, physically, and mentally fit for what is to come. The physical fitness comes in the form of resistance to the temptations of the flesh and the fortitude to overcome obstacles. The mental and spiritual come with wisdom and an openness to God’s eternal love as it is pouring down upon us. This love is found in the things that ironically most people try to avoid in their lives: hard work, sacrifice, and suffering. The more we encounter these, the more we unite ourselves to the Crucified Christ, who is the key to salvation. Abrham, Issac, and Jacob never witnessed the fullness of God’s Covenant. It wasn’t until the call of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt that this came to fulfillment. And that alone took another 40 years. Even Moses did not see the Promised Land. Yet, all these patriarchs were content and joyful in what they received in the moment, understanding that the present was the most important time to be in. God’s will and Divine Plan was being revealed through His creation continuously and for the benefit of all things for all time. Though there was suffering, there was also joy, knowing that whatever was unfolding was God’s will and not the will of man.
As it is said, “Man makes plans and God laughs.” His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. There is always a danger of forgetting that when what we want is different than what God wants for us. His will must be put before ours. This is done through a constant contact with God, found through meditation, worship, and prayer. Each morning should begin with prayer and a willingness to do God’s will. Each night should end with an examination of conscious regarding what we could have done better. There should be a corporal and spiritual checklist of sorts, with a determination to complete all tasks listed and an understanding that others will be added throughout the day.
A servant’s job is never done. It is not the completion of the task that is looked forward to, but joy in doing the task knowing that the master will be well-pleased at the effort. These are the rewards we can expect: to be loved and to love with abandon. We will also be gifted with an understanding that everything promised will be received.
Deacon Tom
