Sunday, August 7
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
Reflection
Today we ponder the idea that faith is something that is intangible—that there is no physical evidence for our beliefs. As the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” The big question here is this: How can we have evidence of something we can’t see? This is what our faith is all about and what our readings speak to this Sunday.
The reading from Wisdom tells us about the faith of the Israelites in God’s ability to deliver them from slavery in Egypt. They were still under the yoke of the Egyptian slave drivers, but they were sustained by the thought that God was coming to free them and start them on their journey to the promised land. Their faith was rewarded and they eventually found themselves living in the promised land “flowing with milk and honey”.
Jesus alludes to the need to be prepared for the coming of the Kingdom of God. He puts the discussion in the framework of servants who are waiting for the return of their master from a wedding. The master was the one who made all of the decisions and guided his household in a certain way. In his absence the house must still continue to function in a way that will please the master on his return. If the food is distributed correctly, the house is orderly and neat, and everyone is doing what they should be doing, then the master will be happy when he returns. This picture fits in our own lives as we think about the return of Jesus to our earth. If we are found by Jesus on his return to be doing things that build up the Kingdom of God, we will be rewarded in heaven. If we are found doing things that break down the Kingdom of God, then that reward will not be forthcoming.
The big question is this: Do we conduct our lives in a way that shows that we believe in Jesus’ return or do we live as people who have no faith? The choice is always ours.
Keep the faith,
Dc. Dare Dutter
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