In the Gospel reading Jesus challenges us to reflect on the tension or the balance that is needed to be prepared for judgment whenever it comes and to accept our responsibilities to live each day faithfully in the present. Among the beautiful benefits of the gift of faith is that it allows us to live fulfilling lives today and at the same time look to the future with hope. In the 2nd reading, from Hebrews, the writer raises up for us the model of Abraham, our Father in faith, and his wife Sarah who trusted in God’s ways as unfathomable as they might have seemed. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom invites us to recall the faith of the Israelites as Moses under the guidance of the Lord led them toward the Promised Land. Sadly their faith did not last.
The reality is that we can become discouraged by the turmoil around us and therefore lose hope. Pope Francis in his encyclical Lumen Fidei raised up the importance of keeping the light of faith bright and what happens when the light of faith is darkened by sin or selfishness. He wrote“. . . in the absence of light everything becomes confused; it is impossible to tell good from evil, or the road to our destination from other roads which take us in endless circles, going nowhere.” Jesus offers to be our light.
The Pope continued, “Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus but sees things as Jesus himself sees them with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing. In many areas in our lives we trust others to know more than we do. We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court. We also need someone trustworthy and knowledgeable where God is concerned. Jesus, the Son of God, is the one who makes God known to us.” What a powerful and consoling thought, if we open our hearts in pure faith we can see as does Jesus. For instance in this year of mercy we recall Jesus from the cross praying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Are we seeing others through is eyes of mercy as does our Lord?
Jesus sets forth for us an honest challenge: “You must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect the Son of Man will come.” Surely he is speaking of the Second Coming when there will be general judgment, but also likely anticipating that time when we are called personally to meet the Lord with particular judgment. Through the two parables just proclaimed he taught that we must be prepared at all times and that one way to do so is by loving service to others in the present– faith in action.
Earlier this week I attended the international convention of the Knights of Columbus held in Toronto, Canada. It is always an uplifting experience and it allows me to express my gratitude to the KCs for all they do for our parishes and diocese and especially in support of our priests and seminarians.
At that convention the highly respected Gaudium and Spes, the joy and hope award was presented to the Little Sisters of the Poor who for well over a century have cared for the poor and frail elderly beginning in France and now around the world. They have recently received a high profile by refusing to give in to the government mandate to fund abortion inducing drugs as part of their employee health plan as a matter of conscience. The result has been the threat of millions of dollars in fines that would put their ministry out of business. They chose to courageously fight this attack on faith and conscience in the courts. Some scoffed that they were merely pawns of lawyers. But if you hear them speak, as I did, you see they are the real deal and instinctively know that their position for life is not only reflected in their actions but in their heart. Thus they are prepared for judgment while living faith in the present.
A mother and daughter were shopping and the mother asked her daughter to hold her purse. The daughter took it and staggered under its weight. Over lunch she asked her mother what was in it that made it so heavy. The mother began to empty it commenting as she did. She pulled out grocery coupons, maps, lottery tickets, an envelope with cash in case muggers got her wallet, two change purses, one for groceries and one for other needs like parking meters, antacids, a tape measure, a flashlight, scissors, a calculator, bankbooks, rings of keys, a novena book, two rosaries one in the wallet and one elsewhere so that she could pray for those who stole her wallet, a kitchen timer so that the church group wouldn’t overcook meals for the homeless, a needle and thread, a Swiss army knife, screws, a sheet of sandpaper, a garbage bag in case someone got sick.
As the daughter looked at the pile she marveled how well prepared her mother was to be a caregiver no matter where she went or with whom. She was prepared by faith in action for judgment day. She too is a sign of hope for the future and joy in the present.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, may our faith not be limited to a gaze at Jesus but rather to see as does he. Then we too can live today with hope and joy and be prepared whenever we are called.