Wait On The Lord, But Be Ready!

 (Homily 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

     “Wait on the Lord, but be ready” could be the overriding content in the message of today’s liturgy. That was the attitude of Abraham and Sarah, and all those who lived and died in the hope of God’s promises as in the second reading. That equally was the attitude of the descendants of the patriarchs who were waiting in hope, the night of liberation as orchestrated in the first reading. Similarly, this is the attitude of the Christian in the world, who in his daily occupations continues to wait in hope with watchful heart for the coming of the Lord as evidenced in the Gospel passage. However, the trustful and vigilant hope is anchored on the assurance of faith on the promises of God, for God fulfills his words. The first reading manifests the faithfulness of God in the life and history of the chosen people and that gave them hope for the future. St. Luke in the Gospel invites us to assume the attitude of trustful and vigilant hope for the coming of the Lord. The Second reading instead presents models of faith to us (Abraham and Sarah) in trustful and vigilant hope they waited on the promises and salvation of God even when human logic and intelligence suggest the contrary. David said: “I waited and I waited patiently on the Lord, then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help” (Ps. 40:1). You too wait on the Lord!

     The first reading (Wis. 18:6-9) is taken from the long section (11:2-19:22) in the book of Wisdom dedicated to the interpretation of the salvation history of Israel in terms of wisdom. In the passage, “That night” refers to the night of the first Passover at the exodus. The author of the book of Wisdom reflects on the paschal liturgy of his time, attributing to Israel’s first Passover his contemporary practice of “singing praises of the fathers”. “Our fathers” in the passage of the book of Wisdom are the patriarchs, who received from God the promise (in the imagery of oaths sworn by God) of the future exodus. Be that as it may, today for us the exodus contains the promise of the Christian Easter, as the revelation of the patriarchs contained in it the promise of the first exodus. Therefore, the call of Israel foreshadows the call of the Church. In this passage, the Israelites had a sort of flash back on their history and discovered that God has always been faithful to his words. And no doubt this instilled in them hope for the future. The responsorial psalm (Ps. 33) is a thanksgiving for the mighty works of God in the salvation history, as orchestrated through the refrain: “Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own” or “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage” (v. 22), this makes it a suitable response for the first reading.

      In the Gospel passage (Lk. 12:32-48) we see the parable of the waiting servants (v.35-38). However, there is a convergence between the first reading and this passage, because in the Gospel of Luke there are some elements taken from the Christian paschal feast; “Let your loins be girded…You must eat it hurriedly” (Ex. 12:11) and “your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home” (Mk. 13). The early Christians literally believed that the return of the Lord would take place at the Passover, as the Israelites believed that the Messiah would come that night. Christ fulfills the promise thus: “He will gird himself and have them sit at table and he will come and serve them”, as such, every Eucharist is a reflection of the paschal Eucharist, in the same vein, the same promise is fulfilled here too.

     The Gospel began with the invitation and reassuring words of Jesus thus: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Lk. 12:32). The Kingdom is God’s gift to his children. Indeed, it is the good pleasure of God to give us His Kingdom. But this does not any way remove the personal effort we have to make to attain that Kingdom. Indeed, when we make obedience to God our priority and joy God is delighted (cf. Zeph. 3:17-18). The Kingdom is indeed God’s purpose and plan of salvation for mankind. Thus, the Kingdom of God matures and grows in the world, however, the world is passing, but the Kingdom of God is eternal. Through the coming of the Son, God revealed His Kingdom as our destiny and eternal target. The Kingdom is not solely an eschatological reality. At the beginning of his public ministry Jesus declared: “The Kingdom of God has come near to you” (Lk. 10:9), and again, “The Kingdom of God has come near you; repent and believe in the good news” (Mk. 1:15). Through the words, works and presence of Jesus in the world God’s Kingdom is made manifest. Jesus is the Autobasilea.

      The Gospel passage is the continuation of last Sunday’s passage, the rich farmer that was foolish, he was foolish because he did not put his treasure in God and unfortunately for him his story ended abruptly. Therefore, we still have the opportunity not to fall into the same trap of being foolish like that man. And how are we to avoid being foolish? Then, here comes the second question: if it is God’s will and desire that we live in a life of full communion with Him, how should we comport ourselves? What should we do? The response of Jesus on this is clear, to these questions Jesus offers us an answer thus: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach and no moth destroy it” (Lk. 12:33). The heavenly treasures are immune to thief and moth. They are eternal. The Gospel helps us to grapple with the question of our moral and spiritual priorities, “For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too” (Lk. 12:34). What is your ultimate treasure? If they are the things of this world like money, possessions, fame, popularity and power, then your heart is lost in the admiration of this world. However, if you make God’s Kingdom your treasure, you will be Heaven bound! However, we can make three considerations based on the above: ●First, we should not attach our hearts to things that pass away, rather “get yourselves purses that do not wear out” (v.33), a treasure that cannot be stolen or consumed by moth, a treasure that has eternal value. ●Second, we have to be vigilant, always ready with your lamps lit. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes” (v.37). We have to be always ready, “with our bags set”. ●Third, the waiting and expectation of the coming of the Lord should not make us inert; we have to be “the wise and trustworthy steward” (v.42). We are stewards because all that we have, come from the Lord; wise and trustworthy because we have to use all according to the will and the desire of the Master. Jesus compares us to stewards, as stewards whatever we have do not belong to us, our time, talent and treasure are all from God. As stewards we will be called to give account all that has been entrusted to us. Thus, we should not only count our blessings but more importantly to share them.

     At the heart of the Gospel Jesus invites us to the spirituality of waiting. Of course, if our eternal target and goal is the Kingdom of God that is not fully and definitively realized in this world, we cannot but wait, wait on the Master. “be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks” (Lk. 12:36). Truly, as we sojourn on this earthly pilgrimage, we have to wait on and for the Lord. As we wait for important persons and things in life. We need to activate this spirituality of waiting for the Master, waiting for the Master reveals in no small measure that we cannot do without him.  However, as you wait, prepare and be ready, lest you will be found wanton, “because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Lk. 12:40). Wait on and for the Lord, but not in idleness and inertia. Be ready, be faithful!

      As a matter of fact, the fundamental questions that man often asks himself in the course of his earthly existence are these: where did we come from? Where are we going to? What is the meaning of our earthly life? What should I do in this life? What will be after here? Will there be an after? It is equally possible to live without posing oneself these questions or even ignore them, but that is not a sapiential way of living. These fundamental interrogations cannot but perturb the mind of every sensible person. The Gospel passage is an attempt to answer these interrogations, for we came from God and is God’s desire that we come back to Him, to experience a life of full communion with Him, a participation in his eternal promises. To his faithful servants he says: “blessed those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. In truth I tell you, he will do up his belt, sit them down at table and wait on them”; “I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of everything that he owns” (vv.37.44). Indeed, already here on earth the Father desires to give his disciples his Kingdom, “There is no need to be afraid little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the Kingdom” (v.32), He desires that we are liberated from sin and live in the freedom of God’s children.

     This therefore, becomes an invitation for us to live our life here on earth in accordance with the will of God. And to live daily according to the will of God, there is need of faith, which according to the Second reading is the “guarantee of the blessings we hope for, or prove of the existence of realities that are unseen” (v.1). It was that same faith that led Abraham to live on earth as a pilgrim. Prophet Isaiah affirms that “those who hope in God will regain their strength” (Is. 40:31). We are called to stand ready and have faith in God.

     The second reading (Heb. 11:1-2, 8-19) presents what is popularly known in the letter to the Hebrews as the roll call of the heroes of faith. However, by heroes in biblical terms, we mean the great figures of salvation history, beginning from Abraham to the prophets and martyrs of the old covenant, they are recognized not because of an act of heroism but because of their heroic faith, which according to the writer is in close connection with hope. As such, faith equally entails taking God at his word when he makes promises for the future. In that bid, the Old Testament figures become examples for the new Israel, the new people of God. The new people in every generation had to imitate Abraham who embarked on a journey, without knowing where he was to go, and his family that lived in tents, in view of an everlasting city. This is the eloquent expression of faith, trust and hope in God. Abraham valued in no small measure his rapport and friendship with God. His heart was where his treasure was, in God, in the everlasting homeland.

     More than that, this second reading picks up the theme of the temporality of the world thus: “we are like strangers and foreigners on earth” (Heb. 11:13). We are therefore invited like Abraham to obey the call of God to embark on a journey towards the Promised Land, although our own Promised Land is not here on earth, but Heaven. The author further said that we “are in search of a homeland” (Heb. 11:14), although it is not an earthly homeland, rather it is “a better homeland, our heavenly homeland” (Heb. 11:16). The relationship with God and his focus on the Promised Land became so essential in the life of Abraham that he was ready to sacrifice his only son given to him by God at old age. But at that historical test of faith, God provided a ram and later a Lamb for the sacrifice (cf. Gen. 22:8-10). Here is the demonstration of Abraham unwavering faith: “He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead” (Heb. 11:19). Frankly speaking, faith is a leap in the dark. It is a confident trust in the One who holds the future. For the sake of the heavenly homeland Abraham was ready to sacrifice the blessing that he waited for all his life. True faith in God gives the courage to dare, just as Abraham did, to the point of sacrificing his only son. Life is full of challenges and uncertainties but in all faith enables us to see light even in darkness.

     Behold, the fundamental attitude expected of the disciples and us today is “to wait on the Lord” and it is in connection with the attitude in the second reading, that is, the attitude of faith and being ready to embark on a journey without knowing the destination. Therefore, the readings speak in different ways of the readiness to be on the move and on spiritual vigilance, avoiding the temptation of deceiving oneself with false securities on the assumption that we have an abiding city here on earth. Lord give us the grace to know and accept what truly matters. Help us to treasure our friendship with you above all else. Renew in us the living faith that conquers all challenges and setbacks. Amen!

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)