First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9 Responsorial: Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12 Gospel Passage: Luke 12:32-48 or 12:35-40
Prepared by Hope by Msgr. Richard Henning
There are many occasions and many ways in which we are urged to be prepared. Storms, natural disasters, health alerts, wars and political upheavals fill the news, and we often hear dire warnings to prepare ourselves in one way or another. The entire insurance industry is predicated on fears of what might go wrong and the need to be prepared for that “rainy day” that might otherwise catch us unaware.
The readings for this Sunday summon the believer to be prepared, but in a very different way than the more common examples above. This summons is not predicated on fear of possible danger or disaster, but on hope in the promises of the Lord.
The ancient Israelites had much to fear during their Egyptian bondage. They lived and died at the whim of others. Their possessions and their possibilities were nearly non-existent. How could these powerless slaves hope to overcome the power of Egypt? And yet they did hope. The Book of Wisdom tells us of their hope in God even in those dark days of slavery and oppression. They continued to worship the Lord and prepared themselves for the day when the Lord would deliver them. And on the night when that deliverance came, the people waited in vigilant hope as life and death hung in the balance. Their hope was not, and could not be, based upon their own power. Their hope lay in their relationship with the Lord. Even in slavery they were blessed, for as the Psalm celebrates, they were chosen by God.
The second reading, taken from Hebrews, is a New Testament passage that cites the example of a key figure from the Old Testament, Abraham. For all Jews, Abraham holds a special place as Father to the nation. To the Christian Jews for whom Hebrews was written, their Christian reading of the Old Testament enhanced the significance of Abraham. In the image of Abraham, they saw the hope of Israel and the hope for the nations realized in Jesus. They saw a pilgrim whose search for a homeland became symbolic of a new spiritual geography in which Christians would journey towards and eternal, heavenly home. Above all in this passage, the beleaguered and tiny Christian community could see in Abraham an example of faith and faithfulness, a man who hoped in hopeless circumstances. Abraham’s journey was defined by the conviction of God’s providential care. And so he could trust that descendants could come from the barren womb of Sarah. Because he knew that “the one who made the promise was trustworthy,” he even faced the traumatic possibility that the Lord would demand his beloved Isaac.
It may seem that the passage from Luke offers a warning that uses fear to motivate. After all, the passage concludes with a story that promises a dire fate to the servant who violates his master’s wishes and does not prepare for the master’s return. However, the passage begins very differently. It is a summons to vigilance, but it is one that begins with a command not to fear. Here too, the fundamental context is hope. The Lord has given them the kingdom, and their vigilance is rooted in their hope. Their deliverance by the Lord has set all of human life and its concerns in a new context. They must live focused on the world to which they journey and avoid the distractions and traps of petty concerns in this passing world. When Jesus does offer a parable of warning, it is in response to Peter’s question about the Apostles. The warning in the parable is directed at the leadership of the community. They have a special duty to remain focused on the service of the Lord by serving the flock. The dire warnings are for shepherds who use their authority for their own petty concerns or ambition.
It is reasonable for us to prepare ourselves for the “rainy days” of life and the dangers that lurk in our world. But the fear of such possibilities may not dominate the life of the authentic Christian. For the Christian believer, the world is first and foremost the arena of God’s providence. Fear, greed, ambition, and other human temptations may not crowd out our fundamental hope in the goodness of our loving God. It is our hope in the Lord Who has saved us and has promised final deliverance that summons us to vigilance and the awareness of God in our lives.
