Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading Wis 18:6-9
The night of the deliverance from Egypt was made known beforehand to our ancestors, so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted. 7 The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were expected by your people. 8 For by the same means by which you punished our enemies you called us to yourself and glorified us. 9 For in secret the holy children of good people offered sacrifices, and with one accord agreed to the divine law, so that the saints would share alike the same things, both blessings and dangers; and already they were singing the praises of the ancestors.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
R/. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Second Reading Heb 11:1-2, 8-12
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For Abraham looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself, though barren, received power to conceive, even when she was too old, because she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
Acclamation before the Gospel Mt 24:42, 44
Gospel Lk 12:35-40
Jesus said to his disciples, 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Catena Nova
Our Lord tells us to gird our loins and light our lamps. He isn’t only warning us to stay awake and alert but telling us to put on our work clothes. He shows us a light and when it shines in our eyes it drives away sleep and lets us see to fasten our belt and get ready for the work he wants us to do…. Our proper work is love. But love is not doing only what we want or what brings us delight. Love is keeping God’s commandments…. Remember all the Gospels tell us about how the Lord went among us doing good and doing all things well. We must learn to imitate him always more completely and ever better.(St. Gregory of Nyssa)
Do not live in fear of the last day, as though it were a thief coming to wreck your house while you sleep; but keep watch, and amend your life this day. Why put it off till tomorrow? If your life is to be long, let it be happy as well as long. No one puts off a good long dinner; and you would like a long evil life! If it is to be long, it will be all the better for being good. If it is to be short, it is as well that its fruits should last. (St. Augustine of Hippo)
This treasure of the Kingdom of God has been hidden by time and multiplicity and the soul's own works, or briefly by its creaturely nature. But in the measure that the soul can separate itself from this multiplicity, to that extent it reveals within itself the Kingdom of God. Here the soul and the Godhead are one.(Meister Eckhart)
We are preparing ourselves for the time, which will come very soon, when we shall find ourselves at the end of our journey and shall be drinking of living water from the fountain I have described. Unless we make a total surrender of our will to the Lord, and put ourselves in His hands so that He may do in all things what is best for us in accordance with His will, He will never allow us to drink of it.(St. Teresa of Ávila)
This time is called the time of mercy in which God looks down day after day so that we can amend our lives from good to better. If we do not do this, we will have to render account, not only of the evils we have done, but also of the goods left undone by our negligence.(St. Catherine of Bologna)
Our days are numbered. Every stroke of the clock reminds us to seek Him Who created time and Himself stands above the measure of time. He alone is able to pluck us out from the ravaging torrent of time… Every stroke of the clock tells us: Be watchful! You now have one hour less until you must cross the threshold into life after death which knows neither days nor hours. Do not be seduced by the momentary sweetness of sin which vanishes like a dream, leaving the soul empty, ailing, anguishing; it steals away precious time and ruins it forever. Do not waste time in useless occupations or idleness. Every one of you has a God-given talent to put to use.(St. John of Kronstadt)
The world will reach its fulfillment only in the Kingdom of God. Before that comes we are like so many fingers of God serving as signs and symbols of the fact that the Kingdom has already come into the world and is growing. More than this we can’t do. But even this is a noble mission and well worth doing. We are set against the darkness and sent to enkindle the faith that the Kingdom of God is among us. Through such faith it grows until all God’s purposes are accomplished. That is enough for us!(Karl Rahner)
Homily
We might be forgiven if we thought the words of Thomas Paine applied as much to our times as to his, written when the future of the American Revolution was anything but certain: "These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
As we face forms of tyranny we might have thought unthinkable in this land — from authoritarian rule by executive order; to a scandal and cover-up far exceeding those of the past in its depravity; to masked thugs disappearing people from our streets, with rendition to camps, domestic and foreign, all without due process; to the dismantling of the social safety net; to saber rattling with nuclear weapons; to military support for another tyrannical regime bent on genocide and the starvation of innocents; to economic policies threatening a fragile world order — it seems threats to the Republic are more present than ever while cynics and sycophants claim it's all to make America "great" again.
But there's more than political and economic tyranny afoot. There's the tyranny of climate change, with record-breaking heat waves, deadly flooding, and consuming wildfires leaving us helpless before its relentless advance. Senseless crime and violence also make us reel before their steady onslaught. (I've lost track of all the latest mass shootings in this country.) And then there's a seemingly endless war on a continent we thought had seen the last of tyrannical regimes willing to invade another country on the pretext they're merely taking what already belongs to them. Trying times, indeed.
So faith in the future, whether the country’s or the planet’s, might be forgiven should it waver or falter. And yet, we believe. For faith is the light penetrating the darkness which often invades our lives, leaving us without sure direction or confidence in finding our way. No human being and no human society goes through life without passing through one or several nights of faith — those times in which familiar certainties and trusted securities no longer serve us and crises of greater or lesser proportion threaten us.
Thus, Jesus predicts his comingat midnight or before sunrise, when it is darkest and the need for light greatest. At the hourwhen we least expect him(G), the Lord is most likely to reveal himself. But the only way we can see him in the darkness is by the light of faith. At such moments, seeing is not believing; rather, believing is seeing. In our personal nights of uncertainty, the dark light of faith must serve as compass and chart.
Our first reading speaks of such a night, when God delivered his people from the darkness of slavery in Egypt: the night of the Passover in which the Lord ransomed Israel. The book of Wisdom says that during this night, the Hebrewsput their faithin God’s promises whileawaiting the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. (I) Their faith in the midst of tribulation led them ultimately to the land God swore to their ancestors.
The letter to the Hebrews goes on to praise these great figures of the Old Testament for their faith in God’s word to them, even when they did not see its immediate fulfillment. The example of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob, helps us realize thatfaith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.
So when we are tossed about by the storms that suddenly arise in our lives, making us despair of ever reaching our goal, we look for such confident assurance, remembering thatbecause of faith the men [and women] of old were approved by God. For God isworthy of trust(II), even when our way is clouded by mist or fog — whereby we may possess real conviction about things unseen.
We celebrated this past week the feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration - a feast of light more brilliant than the sun, shining on the face of Jesus. And yet, a light that was, at the same time, clouded over, so to speak — from which cloud God commended the Son and bid us listen to him. The apostles who witnessed this scene overheard some of the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Luke tells us they speaking of the Lord’s impending “exodus,” his passage from death to life, when it seemed for a time that the light had gone out completely.
As it sometimes does for us. Yet, we are bidden to have ourlamps burning ready, so the master will find uswide-awake on his return (G). Knowing only one thing fuels those lamps for such a long time — faith. Even in times that try our souls!
Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)
For the Church: that God will renew and deepen our faith so that we may be confident that God is always present and accompanies us along each step of our journey.
For a deepening of faith: that our hearts may be open to the witness of our friends and mentors who have gone before us and draw strength and courage from them.
For patience: that we may have the grace to wait upon God, even when answers do not seem clear, and confidently trust in God’s love and providence.
For all who have lost faith: that the Spirit of God will renew their hearts and open a new springtime of faith so that they come to a new relationship with the living God.
For all whose faith is tested, particularly those being persecuted or leaving home for the first time: that they may rely upon God for strength and draw upon the values that they have learned in making decisions.
For migrants and refugees: that God will guide them in their search for safety and lead them to communities that are warm and welcoming.
For all who are in need: that God will give strength to all who have lost homes or possessions in storms and flooding, sustain them as they rebuild their lives, and open the hearts of many to assist them.
O God, on whom our faith rests secure and whose kingdom we await, sustain us by word and sacrament and keep us alert for the coming of the Son of Man, that we may welcome him without delay. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (ICEL; 1998)
Offertory Antiphon
Offertory Hymn (Music: Daniel ben Judah; Words: Thomas Olivers; 1725-1799)
The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of Everlasting Days, and God of Love; To him uplift your voice at whose supreme command from earth we rise and seek the joys at his right hand.
There dwells the Lord, our King, the Lord, our Righteousness, triumphant o'er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace; on Zion's sacred height his kingdom he maintains, and, glorious with his saints in light, for ever reigns.
Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand; And tell the wonders He hath done, through all their land: The listening spheres attend, and swell the growing fame; And sing, in songs which never end, the wondrous name.
The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing, and "Holy, holy, holy!" cry "Almighty King! Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be: Eternal Father, great I AM, we worship thee!"
The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high; "Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" they ever cry; hail, Abraham's God and mine; I join the heavenly lays; all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise.
Communion Antiphon
Closing Hymn(Marty Haugen)
Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be. All that you possess will never set you free. Seek the things that last; come and learn from me. Where your treasure is, your heart shall be.
What do you gain from all your worry, What you should eat or what to wear? There is no peace in stress and hurry, Do you not know that you are held within God's care?Where your treasure is...
Look at the ravens high above you! They do not brood their whole lives through--- Yet God feeds them and protects them. How much more will God protect and care for you!Where your treasure is...
Behold the lilies in their splendor! In grace and beauty they are dressed. And yet so soon their bloom is faded. So how much more will those who look to God be blessed.Where your treasure is...
Do not fear little flock, For God delights to give you the reign of God! Give your possessions to the needy. Gain a treasure that will not fade! Where your treasure is...
