Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Wisdom
18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:35-40 [short version])
Today's
Gospel contains two short parables. Let me try to explain it with another
parable, or better, a story. The story
is not from Jesus, but from President John Kennedy of the United States. To
emphasize how diligently he would work when elected, Kennedy told the story of
a state legislature in the early years of the American republic. He said the
legislature was in session when an eclipse of the sun was taking place. The
skies grew dark, and the legislators thought the end of the world had arrived.
Some of them proposed that the session be adjourned so they could be with their
families when the Lord came. But another member of the legislature asked the
Speaker of the House to do the opposite. He exclaimed, "Mr. Speaker, if
it's not the end of the world and we adjourn, we'll look foolish. If it is the
end of the world, I'd rather be found doing my duty. I propose, sir, that you
bring candles."
Through
parables, Jesus advances his plan to reestablish the Kingdom of God in the
world. He has recruited disciples to continue the work after his death. With
the parable of the servants awaiting their master's return, Jesus advises them
to be diligent in their efforts for the Kingdom. As the legislator in Kennedy's
story says, they want to be found "doing (their) duty." Why be
diligent? To be welcomed into the halls of eternal life. Jesus’ parable
describes this welcome with a magnificent image: the Lord "will gird
himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them."
The project
of the Kingdom is to make the world a place of justice, peace, and love. It
requires establishing laws, customs, institutions, and ultimately virtues so
that all people will respect one another and care for the common good. One
person definitely working for the Kingdom lives in Pakistan where he serves his
own people. Shahzad Francis leads a fraternal organization that helps Catholics
struggle to live with dignity in the midst of a predominantly Muslim society. Among
many other works Francis fosters peace by holding public dialogues among all
religions. He travels to the nation's capital to advocate for minority rights.
He recently established schools for the children of brick kiln workers, who are
among the poorest in the country and are largely Christian.
We can work
for the Kingdom of God by implanting its values in our families and
communities. Instead of having each family member entertain himself or herself
on a personal telephone, we might share common activities like a hike in the
woods. Instead of watching a football game from the interviews before to the
analysis afterward, we could take a couple of hours to serve food to the
homeless or visit the elderly abandoned in nursing homes.
Does it
seem impossible or too idealistic to change the ways of the world? Consider the
Second Reading. The Letter to the Hebrews points to Abraham and Sarah, old and
childless, moving forward with faith in God to produce “offspring as numerous
as the stars of the sky and as countless as the sand of the sea.”
The second
parable Jesus uses concerns his coming to claim His own at the end of time. He
says He will arrive like a thief in the night, that is at an undetermined time.
Jesus urges us to be always ready for him by regularly doing good works. In
Kennedy's story, the request for candles equates to “be ready, always.” Boy Scouts
have a slogan that can serve as a guide: “Do a good turn every day.” We must
not let a day pass without making an effort to help another. The Lord may not
come with the definitive end of the world for eons, but it is certainly
possible that He will come tomorrow to claim our individual lives. If not for
the love of our neighbors, then at least to avoid a negative judgment in death,
we want to prepare ourselves with good actions.
The two
parables of today's Gospel can be reduced to two admonitions. First, help one
another, especially the needy, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Second, begin
the work now and continue doing it every day of your life. By attending to
these tasks, we will be inviting Jesus to take us with Him to his heavenly
table.
