August 11, 2013

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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 117

Reading 1WIS 18:6-9

The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.

Our Jewish forebears knew about the Passover and believed in the promises which God associated with the keeping of the Passover.  

Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.

The Jews hoped in God's protection from their enemies and the salvation of all who had faith in God.

For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.

God glorified the Jews by choosing them for salvation.

For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.

Because the Jews were sacrificing to God in secret.  

I think this means that the Jews in Egypt were secretly making sacrifices to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Thus, God heard their cries and saved them. 

Responsorial PsalmPS 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22

R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Those whom God chooses are blessed.  And the blessed whom God chooses are righteous.  Only the righteous will be saved because only the righteous obey the Word of God.

Reading 2HEB 11:1-2, 8-19

Brothers and sisters:

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for

and evidence of things not seen. 

Because of it the ancients were well attested.

St. Paul is describing one aspect of faith.  Faith is many things.  Faith, in one respect is trust in God.  In another, faith is believing that those things promised will be received.  

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place

that he was to receive as an inheritance;

Listen to this closely.  By faith, Abraham worked.  It is obvious that it is those who put their faith to work whom God loves.  Scripture also says of Abraham elsewhere:

Genesis 26:5  Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 

By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,

dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;

for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,

whose architect and maker is God. 

By faith he received power to generate,

even though he was past the normal age

—and Sarah herself was sterile—

for he thought that the one who had made the promise was 

trustworthy.

Note that faith is trust.  Abraham trusted in God and therefore obeyed all which God commanded.  Note also that by faith, he performed.  By faith, he acted.  By faith, he worked.

The idea of salvation by faith alone is a doctrine of demons.  God does not save those who do not obey His word:

Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

So it was that there came forth from one man,

himself as good as dead,

descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky

and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

A very unique idea is that St. Paul compares Abraham to a dead man from whom nations were born.  Thus, he compares Abraham to Jesus Christ, who died to give us life.

All these died in faith. 

This is a poignant statement.  The Israelites died, yet believing in God, they did not receive the promise.  They were faithful to the end, yet did not receive the promise.

They did not receive what had been promised

but saw it and greeted it from afar

and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,

for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. 

If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,

they would have had opportunity to return. 

But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. 

Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,

for he has prepared a city for them.

But, believing in God, they kept their eye on the promise.  They knew that they were strangers in a foreign land and they desired to go home, with God.

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,

and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,

of whom it was said,

“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” 

He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,

and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

And then he brings us back to Abraham, whose faith was so powerful that he understood that God could even bring Isaac back from the dead. 

the alternate second reading is a subset of the primary.  No commentary needed.
HEB 11:1-2, 8-12

Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.

GospelLK 12:32-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

This is a beautiful explanation of indulgences.  Give your money to the poor and to the Church and you will assure for yourself a place in heaven.  This presupposes that you are a righteous person who has faith in God.

“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

This is what a righteous man will do.  While awaiting the fulfillment of the promise, he does all which is his duty to do.  He girds his loins and lights his lamp in order to better do the works of God.

Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

And if God finds us busy at our jobs, doing His will, He will reward us beyond our dreams.

And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.

But if we wait one while and He doesn't come, wait another.  Blessed are they who wait until the end.

Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

We must always be prepared to meet God.  For no one knows when God will call us home.

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.

St. Peter wanted to know whether the Apostles were exempted from this teaching.  And Jesus said, no, those who persevere in well doing to the end will be richly rewarded.

But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

But even the Apostle or priest who has been given much responsibility, if he should tire of waiting and begin to do that which is unseemly in the eyes of God, he will be punished with the wicked.

That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The answer to St. Peter's question is thus.  Those who know better will be punished more severely if they sin.  And those who do not know better will still be punished if they sin.  

The alternate reading of the Gospel is a subset of the primary.  No commentary needed.
LK 12:35-40

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”