Homily Nineteenth Sunday Year C Faith
Homily
Nineteenth Sunday Year C
Reading
1: “The night was known beforehand.” This was the night of the Passover, when
God delivered his people from their bondage in Egypt. God revealed himself
first to Moses, then through the many plagues, then to the people.
When
he instructed them to slaughter a lamb, splash its blood on their doorpost, eat
the roasted lamb in a stance of getting ready for a journey, they did so. God
then struck down the Egyptians and passed over the houses of the Israelites.
Then God led the people out of Egypt.
The
key word in this phrase in this reading is: “They put their faith.” This faith
gave them courage. Because they followed the instructions of God, they
experienced the power and deliverance of God.
The
Book of Wisdom, written many years after the event, gives the glorified
version. Their faith wasn’t always as strong as portrayed. They also feared God
whose power they had witnessed in the ten plagues. They had a “here and now
faith”, as we realize from the rest of their forty years exodus journey with
God in the desert. They murmured, complained, rebel and were disobedient. And
yet God called them back to himself because of who God was and because of his
plans for them. Their faith was foraged through the fire of many test and
trials.
Is
our faith in God any different?
Reading
2: “Faith is confident assurances concerning what we hope for, and conviction
about things we do not see.” Faith is based on a relationship and on the
conviction that the person I believe in is worthy of trust.
It
was Abraham’s conviction that God had revealed to him his many promises.
Because of this relationship and who God was, Abraham believed in the promises
even though he did not see the promises fulfilled fully. It was faith that
sustained Abraham and Sarah, who waited for a child even though they at times
tried to take things in their own hands. It was faith that sustained Abraham
when God told him to slay Isaac, who was his hope for the future.
However,
the relationship with God was stronger than Abraham’s human desire to follow
his human instincts. Abraham believed but never saw his many descendants, only
Isaac. He believed though he never saw the many blessings that would come upon
his descendants. He believed though he did not experience the extent of the
land to be given. His faith was not in the promises but in the person of God, in
whom he put his faith.
Gospel:
Did you hear the promise? Your Father will give you the kingdom which is
eternal life with him. If we believe and have hope to see this promise
fulfilled, what must we do? Live in such a way that shows what our true
treasure is. “Where your treasure lies, there your heart will be.” Is our
treasure in material things or spiritual? Is our treasure in others or in God?
Is it on what we can see, feel or what is unseen? Are we servants waiting for
the Master to return or are we the one in charge? Are we the faithful,
farsighted servant or the wicked servant?
The
second key idea in this Gospel is the focus of our faith. We put our trust in
God’s promises because of who God is. We express this faith by living in a way
that shows we are anticipating and expecting his return either in death or at
the end of time. We want to be ready to welcome him as we act in faith and live
in hope.
The
third key idea: “When much has been given, much will be required.” How much has
been given us by God? What are we doing with it? Are we a people of faith and
commitment or are we a people with a loss of memory of the bountiful blessings we
have received?
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