Reading 1
Wis 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.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Reading 2
Heb 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.
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.
All these died in faith.
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.
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.
Gospel
Lk 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.
“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 them 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.”
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.
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.
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.”
Meditation: Luke 12:32-48
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
What a wonderful promise! God delights in giving us his kingdom—in taking us to be with him forever. But before we see this promise realized, there is a lot of waiting. The Israelites knew God would defeat their enemies, but they had to wait out many plagues before Pharaoh fi nally let them go. God promised Abraham a son, but look how long his childlessness stretched on before Isaac was born. Similarly, we know that Jesus will knock at our door one day to take us to his side, but until then, we have to hold on to our faith.
It’s good to know that we are not waiting in the dark with no idea of what it will be like when the kingdom comes. Because of Jesus’ cross and resurrection, the kingdom has already begun to unfold in our world and in our hearts. We get a glimpse of it every time we gather to worship the Lord. We see it in the least of his people, whose needs tug at our hearts. We feel it when we forgive someone who has wronged us, and when we receive forgiveness from someone we have hurt.
So don’t hesitate to invest in God’s kingdom. Choose every day to live as you want to live when it comes in all its fullness. As you do, something wonderful and surprising happens: Jesus Christ, your King, sits you down and waits on you! He honors you for helping someone when you could just as easily have turned away. He congratulates you for turning the other cheek and not seeking revenge. He rewards you for caring for his beloved poor.
God is never outdone in generosity. He has promised you the kingdom, and he delivers on that promise every day!
“Father, thank you for calling me to live in your kingdom. I place my heart into your keeping, for you are my only treasure.”
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Questions for Individual Reflection or Group Discussion
(Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalm 33:1,12,18-22; Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19; Luke 12:32-48)
1. The first reading today speaks of awaiting the salvation of the just. How patient are you in waiting for the Lord? What are the circumstances when you aren’t?
2. The responsorial psalm talks of those who “hope” for God’s kindness. The psalmist also prays: “May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you” (Psalm 33:22). Our Catechism says that hope is both “the confident expectation of divine blessing” and “the fear of offending God’s love”. We sin against hope by despair. In what way does our view of the nature and character of God, and his disposition towards us, contribute to this despair? What are the circumstances in your life that can cause you to despair of hope, and in receiving God’s love?
3. In the Letter to the Hebrews we read the story of Abraham, who did not presume upon his own ideas or his own abilities. He confidently placed his trust in God. What are some times in your life when you stepped out in faith, trusting God that he would protect and sustain you. Is there anything in your life right now that you are fearful of doing — something that God may be asking of you?
4. Today’s Gospel begins with the words: “Do not be afraid”. Jesus tells us why: “for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”. What steps can you take to open yourself to receive all that your Heavenly Father wants to give you? What might be holding you back?
5. The meditation ends with these words, “God is never outdone in generosity. He has promised you the kingdom, and he delivers on that promise every day!” What are some ways that God has shown his generosity to you?
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