XIX Sunday in OT:[C]: Wis18: 6-9;Heb11:1-2,8-19;Lk12:32-48

XIX Sunday in OT:[C]: Wis18: 6-9;Heb11:1-2,8-19;Lk12:32-48

Introduction:  The central theme of today’s readings is the necessity for trusting faith in God’s promises and vigilant preparedness among Christ's followers. 

Exegesis: The first reading cites the faith-filled preparedness of the ancient Hebrew slaves in Egypt before their mass exodus to the Promised Land.  Their trusting faith in their God’s promises gave them hope.  We are told how their faith and hope resulted in their liberation. With expectant hope, the Hebrews sacrificed the first Passover lamb and ate the first ritual meal, as prescribed by their God through Moses.  They awaited their imminent release and were prepared for it.  In the Gospel, Jesus challenges his disciples to trust the Father’s promise to give them eternal happiness in His kingdom. But they are to be prepared at all times, because the Son of Man may come at an unexpected hour either at the moment of their death or at the end of the world. Using the master-servant parable, Jesus reminds us always to do the will of God by obeying Jesus’ commandment of love, offering humble and sacrificial service to others.   Using the master-thief parable Jesus warns us to be on our guard or be vigilant and so that the thief (the devil), may not steal our treasure of divine grace by his temptations.

Event:  In a far North Territory, there is a city where at one time, ten percent of working fathers were truck drivers. Those working parents spent a lot of their time on the road, sometimes weeks at a time. At home, the most common question that cried out of the mouth of the young children was, "When is dad coming home?" To reduce the pain of the little ones, the mothers would reassure them that their fathers would soon be home. They would tell the little ones to believe and have patience, to just wait and see!

Anecdote: 1: Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer (born March 24, 1956) has been the chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation since January 2000.  He was one of the richest people in the world with a personal wealth estimated at US$14.5 billion in 2010.  He is Bill Gates' hand-picked successor. In 2004, he was seen crawling on the floor of the General Motors' executive conference room, trying to fix a connection that would enable him to make a pitch to GM engineers. The image of the Microsoft CEO on his hands and knees to please some customers made such an impression on the author Steve Hamm that he wrote a whole article based on this one incident. [Steve Hamm, "Why High Tech Has to Stay Humble," Business Week (19 January 2004), pp76-77.] Corporate executives will get on their hands and knees to show customers how much they care. In today’s gospel Jesus warns his followers to be ever prepared by doing the will of God always in their lives, as the time of their death is uncertain. 

Anecdote: 2: Bishop Sheen tells us that we will have three surprises in heaven. The first surprise: We will be surprised to see that many people we expected to be in Heaven are not there. St. John of the Cross gives the reason why they are not there: “At the evening of our life, we shall be judged on how we have loved.” The second surprise: We will be surprised to see that the people we never expected to be in Heaven are there. It is because God judges man’s intentions and rewards them accordingly. The third surprise: We will be surprised to see that we are in Heaven. Since our getting to Heaven is principally God’s work, we should be surprised that God somehow “went out of His way” to save us simply because we showed the good will and generosity to cooperate with His grace. In today’s Gospel Jesus answers the questions: who will be saved, when and how.

Joke:  The widower had just taken his fourth wife and was showing her around the village. Among the places visited was the churchyard, and the bride paused before a very elaborate tombstone that had been erected by the bridegroom. Being a little nearsighted she asked him to read the inscription, and in reverent tones he read:
       "Here lies Susan, beloved wife of John Smith; also Jane, beloved wife of John Smith; also Mary, beloved wife of John Smith--"
       He paused abruptly, and the bride, leaning forward to see the bottom line, read, to her horror:
       "Be Ye Also Ready."

Practical Applications: 1) We need to be vigilant and ready to face the Lord. Remain alert is prayer and listen to God. Tune our ears to the divine sounds of love, harmony and peace. The Book of Revelation says: "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).

2) 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.  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.

Introduction: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message:  The author of Wisdom speaks of “that night” of exodus from bondage in Egypt when the Lord delivered his chosen people from death.  The Lord will come again, perhaps in the midst of night.  Let us be prepared for his return.  As we walk in darkness, our journey to our heavenly homeland is illumined by faith.

Saints and Events in this Week:   Twelfth-Monday- Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, religious. Thirteenth- Tuesday-Saints Pontian, pope and Hippolitus, priest, martyr. Fourteenth-Wednesday-Saint Maximilian Kolbe, priest, martyr.  Fifteenth-Thursday-THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY-holy day of obligation(USA)-Sixteenth-Friday-Saint Stephen of Hungary