{"id":2936,"date":"2019-08-11T12:01:23","date_gmt":"2019-08-11T16:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2936"},"modified":"2019-08-11T14:39:31","modified_gmt":"2019-08-11T18:39:31","slug":"19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

19<\/a>th<\/a><\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalm 93:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 (17b)
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Luke 12:32-48
August 11, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlessed\nthe people the Lord has chosen to be his own.<\/em>\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord has chosen to make all of us\nhis children.  As our Father, He chooses\nto be \u201cour help and our shield.<\/em>\u201d  Yet, we need to realize that doesn\u2019t mean we\nget what we want when <\/em><\/strong>we want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, we have to wait for the\nLord, we need to wait for the appointed time. \nI don\u2019t know about you but I know I do not like to wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus speaks today of the hour of his\nSecond Coming.  He speaks using a parable\nof the servants awaiting the master\u2019s return. \nThey did not know the hour but they were expected to be ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do not know the hour when the Son\nof Man will come but we are expected to be ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God called Abraham to a new\nland.  He did not tell Abraham where it\nwas yet \u201cby faith Abraham obeyed\u2026by faith\nhe sojourned<\/em>,\u201d letting the Lord lead him. \n He was patient, knowing the Lord\nwould provide in his own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first disciples lived expected\nthe Second Coming to happen immediately. \nThat was 2,000 years ago.  It\nhasn\u2019t happened yet.  So, today we don\u2019t\nlive with any sense of urgency.  That\nmeans many people have slacked off and choose earthly pleasurers over following\nthe Lord\u2019s way today.  They might think\nthey will have time to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is clear that the Son of Man\nwill come \u201cat an hour you do not expect.<\/em>\u201d  Elsewhere he speaks of how there will be\nearthquakes, wars, and insurrections as signs of the coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you watch the news on a regular\nbasis?  You can watch news reports about\nearthquakes.  Sometimes it seems to me\nthat there are more earthquakes happening in recent years?  Is that a sign of the Second Coming?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news also reports on terrorist\nattacks, wars, and insurrections.  Is\nthis a sign of the Second Coming?  If\nnot, the shootings and violence still point to the rise of evil and people\nturning away from the Lord\u2019s way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is our response to be?  It could be a response of fear.  There I turn to Jesus\u2019 words \u201cDo not be afraid any longer, little flock,\nfor your Father is pleased to give you<\/strong>\nthe Kingdom.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith, belief in God and knowledge of\nhis kingdom, is God\u2019s free gift to us. \nHe wants us to have hope.  The first\nreading from the Book of Wisdom reminds how the Israelites knew when the\nPassover would come so they would be prepared. \nJesus speaks of the Second Coming so that we might be prepared and have\nhope of what is to come.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God does not want us to live our\nwhole lives in fear.  God wants us to\nhave hope.  That\u2019s why He sent\nJesus.  Jesus came and died for us on the\nCrucifix not to install fear of our sins but to give us hope of God\u2019s merciful\nforgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to be \u201cready<\/em>.\u201d  We need to keep \u201cvigilant<\/em>.\u201d  We need to be \u201cprepared<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you scared by the news of more\nshootings?  Do you feel powerless to stop\nit?  I know people who say they don\u2019t\nwatch the news because it is too depressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can we do to stop it?  How can we prepare ourselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For earthly preparation, such acts of\nviolence should serve as a reminder that wherever we go, we should be aware of\nour surroundings.  If something bad is to\nhappen, where are the exits (i.e. where can I run to for safety)?  If I can\u2019t escape, where can I hide?  If I can\u2019t hide, how can I defend myself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the more ideal thing is to\nkeep these events from happening but what can someone like me do?  If you see someone saying or doing things\nthat might indicate they are planning an attack, report it to the police.  Last weekend you probably heard the news of\nthe shootings in Texas and Ohio.  After\nthat, did you hear Monday or Tuesday of the man who was arrested before<\/em><\/strong>\nhe carried out an attack because his grandmother turned him because she knew\nsomething was wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking as Christians, we can we\ndo?  Some of these shootings are done by\npeople with mental health issues.  Do we\nadvocate for better availability of help for those with mental health\nproblems?  It isn\u2019t just the individual\u2019s\nproblem.  God calls us to love our\nneighbor.  Thus, mental health is a\nsocietal problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many in society, their decisions\nare always about what\u2019s in it for them. \nAs Christians, we need to think about how our actions affect\nothers.  For instance, if I use more than\nI need of something, does that keep others from having what they need.  Does that lead them to steal and\/or acts of\nviolence? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I set aside selfish desires, then\ncan I better show love and compassion for others?  Then, in turn others might turn from \u201chate\u201d,\nchoosing instead to love one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we can always pray.  For example, after Mass we pray the St.\nMichael Prayer together.  We can read in\nthe Book of Revelation of St. Michael the Archangel leading the battle against\nthe dragon.  We need his help and God\u2019s\ngrace in our battle against evil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christian response to \u201chate\u201d is not hate.\u00a0 You can\u2019t defeat hate with more hate<\/a> but love can transform the world.\u00a0 Let us love others as God loves us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CWisdom 18:6-9Psalm 93:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 (17b)Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19Luke 12:32-48August 11, 2019 \u201cBlessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.\u201d  The Lord has chosen to make all of us his children.  As our Father, He chooses to be \u201cour help and our shield.\u201d  Yet, we need …<\/p>\n

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