Strengthening Our Faith in God’s Promises
Listening the Spirit
Lord, you tell us to be vigilant and watch for your coming.
Show us how to
find you in the Eucharist,
help us find you in those we love,
in strangers we meet, in the poor and needy.
Let us find you in our sleep, in our work and in our play,
watch for you in our laughter and in our tears,
in the deep souls of everyone we meet
every day in the dusk and in the dark of night. Amen.
Listening the Word: Luke 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.”
Reflection
Today, on the 19th Sunday in ordinary time, we are invited to reflect on the topic of faith. The second reading reminds us that faith is the realization of our hopes and the evidence of things that are not seen. The life of Abraham teaches us that while it can be challenging to have complete faith, especially when God asks us to do something uncertain or difficult, we are invited to trust in His promises, which are always fulfilled in unique and special ways. Abraham shows us that we must trust in the Lord, even when we are called to let go of things that are important to us. Faith is not always clear or easy to understand. Sometimes we struggle because we don’t see things as clearly as we would like. Yet, we are still called to believe.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Let us ask ourselves: Where is my heart today? Do I truly trust in the promises of God? Or have I become indifferent to them?
From my personal experience visiting the sick, I have noticed something: when we are in need, especially in times of illness or hardship, we often turn to God, asking and hoping for healing. But when things are going well, when our families are healthy and life feels stable, we sometimes forget God. We lose interest in prayer and stop coming to church. Our focus shifts to material things.
Material goods can be good and necessary, but when they become the center of our lives, they can be dangerous. They are temporary and do not last.
Today, let us renew our trust in God. Let us thank Him for the many gifts we have received from His goodness. Let us give Him a true place in our hearts. Because if we have God, we have everything.
Let us long not for things that pass, but for those that are eternal—things that will last beyond this life.
The Gospel also reminds us to be vigilant, because we do not know the day or the hour when the Lord will call us to account for our lives. How can we be prepared?
By attending the Sacrament of Confession, participating in the Mass, and receiving the Holy Communion, we can find everything we need. Yes, it can be challenging to believe sometimes, but it’s even more difficult to face life without a close relationship with the Lord.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us strive every day to grow closer to God so that our faith may be strengthened in Him. In Him, we will find everything—and have everything.
Reflection Questions
- When life is going well and we feel secure, how can we intentionally keep God at the center of our hearts instead of drifting toward material concerns?
- In moments when faith feels uncertain or difficult, what practical steps can we take to renew our trust in God’s promises?
