Year C

19TH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME

► Text of Sunday Reflection

“We are all invited to be pilgrims”
by Fr Dan Carroll SDB

The Word of God for the 19th Sunday Cycle C invite us on a faith journey and on pilgrimage.

The second Reading refers to Abraham’s call from God to leave his home and go to a foreign country. Abraham and his wife were well on in years but they acted on God’s invitation and set out on their pilgrimage. The person who has hope lives differently, the one who hopes has been granted the gift of new life.

In the Gospel Luke tells us about an occasion when Jesus was travelling with his disciples to Jerusalem and during a moment of instruction, he said to them, ‘Fear not, little flock, for it’s your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ The Gospel is not merely about communicating things that can be known. The Gospel is about making things happen and is life changing.

Jesus invited the disciples to identify their true treasure – what was it that they desired most in life? Jesus also addresses this question to us today.

Jesus instructed the disciples to be in a state of readiness. ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.’

Those ready for the master’s return were loyal to him. How can you and I be loyal to Jesus?

The Gospel suggests the giving of alms – Alms giving can be giving time to people who need a listening ear, giving encouragement, providing support and assistance to those in difficulty. Helping to create an environment or place where people can live safely and peacefully.

Having a sense of gratitude for one’s own blessings and striving to help others as best one can.

Living as a joyful, happy and peaceful person. Receiving the Word of God, and being shaped by it. We are meeting God and he is our number one treasure.

Abraham and his wife Sarah were pilgrims. For them the end of the journey would come when they were at home with their father in heaven.

We are all invited to be pilgrims. It is unlikely we will be asked to go to a foreign country but our values, way of life, attention to people, faith, hope and love, will, hopefully, grow and mature. Our journey is always bringing us to a new place. The love of God always opens us to hope and new understanding. All will be made known to us when we are with God our Father in heaven.

Being pilgrims does not mean we will always get things right but are always learning to trust in God and giving him the freedom to lead, guide and shape us.

Mary our Mother knew what her treasure was and she lived it – to do the will of God. We ask her to guide us so that we have the freedom, love, generosity and openness of heart to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Amen.

► Readings, Reflections & Prayers

Scripture readings: Association for Catholic Priests
– www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie
Reflections and Prayers by Fr Jack Finnegan SDB

1st Reading – Wisdom 18:6-9

That night was made known beforehand to our ancestors, so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted. The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were expected by your people. For by the same means by which you punished our enemies, you called us to yourself and glorified us. For in secret the holy children of good people offered sacrifices, and with one accord agreed to the divine law, so that the saints would share alike the same things, both blessings and dangers; and already they were singing the praises of the ancestors.

2nd Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old-and Sarah herself was barren ?” because he considered him faithful who had promised.

Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead-and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:32-48

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you,he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one o whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

► Lectio Divina

by Fr Juan José Bartolomé SDB

Introduction to Lectio Divine

Turning to his disciples, Jesus continues the exhortation he had already begun while speaking to the people. When a stranger came to ask his help because his brother would not give him the share of the inheritance that was due to him, Jesus refused to mediate in the dispute. However, he took advantage of the occasion to warn people about the danger of allowing themselves to be possessed by the things they possess. The position taken by Jesus seemed so demanding that he felt the need to continue his teaching on this point. In an effort to explain better, he limited his audience, but he did not water down the severity of the warning nor the level of his demands. The Jesus that we meet in today’s gospel passage may seem very radical and not very practical. We should not forget, however, that his words were intended for those who follow him. Let those who are not deaf become his disciples.

Read: understand what the text is saying, focussing on how it says it

This talk, which was addressed only to the disciples, does not have a unified theme. It is made up of two subjects that are a bit different. It begins by completing the teaching of Jesus on the attitude of complete trust in God that should characterize his disciples in this world and, in practice, their relationship with the earthly goods. It then goes on directly to exhort them to live in a state of permanent vigilance and warns them against the desire of goods that do not last. He then encourages them to live as people waiting for the Lord who is to come. This makes it clear that the lack of interest in earthly goods is not simply disaffection or even contempt, but a test of hope and the will to serve the Lord who is to come.

In the first part of his talk, Jesus encourages his disciples to live free from the tyranny of possessions. He uses a double argument: the disciples need not fear losing their possessions, because God gives us more than we can desire. The promised kingdom makes everything else insignificant. He finishes with a basic criterion: what really matters is what fills our hearts – either the kingdom or earthly goods. The second argument is in the form of parables (there are three parables contained in this text). He gives the reason for our waiting for the Lord. If the Lord comes in the middle of the night and finds the servants waiting and ready to welcome him, he will immediately set about serving them.  Jesus states this with surprisingly clear logic in the first parable. In the second parable he says that we need to look forward to his coming always because he comes when least expected – just like a thief!

The second part of his talk is in response to a question from Peter. Jesus explains the meaning of the parable by telling another parable! Note that this time he does not speak of servants in general, but of just one servant, the steward who was in charge of the others. Responsibility before the Lord does not fall on the whole team of servants but only on their leader. The fidelity and wisdom of a good steward consists in being constant in his work, and always ready to render an account of his administration. And it is not a good idea to count on the master being late! That tactic could lead to his downfall.

Meditate: apply what the text says to life

The disciples of Jesus, no matter how unimportant they might be, or might be considered by others, have nothing to be afraid of in the world. Their future is with God and is in God’s hands. That is the promise that Jesus gives. Knowing it frees the disciples from worrying about accumulating goods that do not last and so have no future, and makes them free to belong totally to the Lord who is their only good. Waiting for him enables them to live without earthly goods or without worrying about accumulating them. Jesus wants us to be free of material things and free of worry, because the Father has decided to give us the best possible gift, namely his kingdom. Before asking us to renounce other things, God has given us his own patrimony, and he has done so “with pleasure”, rejoicing in his generosity, in order to increase our generosity. The only goods that are worth having are those that are not seen, and that cannot be taken from us. Only God can satisfy our hearts. He is our only treasure, and it is worth losing everything else for him.

Our waiting is without end, not because the Lord will not come, but because we do not know when he will come.  We must be patient in keeping vigil. It will last until the Lord comes. When he returns, the Lord who is to come will reward, not the servant who possesses most, but the one who has been most attentive in waiting. The way to serve the Lord in his absence is by being alert in keeping vigil, and to remain alert it is absolutely necessary to remain free from the things we possess. Poverty of resources greatly increases our waiting for the Lord, and when he comes, he will set about serving those who have not grown tired of waiting. What makes us worthy of the Lord’s coming is not what we have but what we expect. The only good that we cannot lose, and the only one we need to protect in this life, is the one that has not yet come, the Lord we are waiting for. Jesus assures us that our waiting for him will transform the Lord into our attentive servant. Having God as our servant is the reward for those servants who wait in hope, who put up with their needs and the time of the Lord’s absence without losing hope of one day meeting their generous Lord.

Jesus does not tell us when he plans to come. He will come like a thief. We will not be able to foresee his coming nor prevent it. Our time of service lasts until he comes. The servant is a true servant only if he waits for his master’s coming. Waiting for Christ is our way of serving him!

Peter was the one chosen from among them all to be leader of the Lord’s servants. Of him the Lord expects fidelity and solicitude for the others. The Master will entrust his possessions to the good steward that he finds caring for others and giving them their food at the proper time. The Lord does not keep his gifts for himself, and the steward is faithful when he shares with others. All that we have, we have in trust, as stewards whose job it is to serve those who have nothing. Fidelity to the Lord, while he is still absent, is not measured by the quantity of goods we have in hand, but in putting everything we have at the disposal of those who have less.

We should not think of ourselves as masters of the things we own, simply because we own them, while the Lord has not yet come. Even if he is not yet with us, he has left us his will and the task he has for us. Respecting his will is the only proper way to honour the Lord who is to come. His will represents himself. The servant who knows what his Master wants and does not do it will be punished. He is not an absent Lord. He is a demanding Lord, to be feared by those who do not obey him.

The last statement of Jesus is in the form of a proverb. The first half of it is understandable enough – “to whom much is given, of him much will be required”.  The second part seems harder to understand – “of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.”  The most precious of all the gifts we have received is the trust the Lord has shown in us by giving us his gifts. In fact, the gifts we receive are nothing more than the proof of the trust God has in us.  We respond to gifts according to what we have received. The trust that God asks of us is greater than what we have already received. The trust the Lord has in us should increase our trust in him.