The 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 7th August 2022
Lectionary Readings: Wis. 18: 6-9; Ps. 33: 1. 12. 18 20. 22; Heb. 11: 1-2. 8-19; Lk. 12: 32-48
Theme: an experienced faith is an undoubtful hope
The letter to the Hebrews speaks about the faith of the ancients: the faith of Abraham and the faith of the fathers. The faith that leads us to believe is the same faith that binds us together and is a faith that grants us access to the treasury of heaven.  It further talks about the hope, which they held about the Messiah (Heb. 11). It speaks about; “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” and since one has seen faith, since one experiences it, by being loved by God and being showered by his compassion and mercy one has come to believe in Him. This is all due to the evidence that one has experienced and encountered with the Divine. In Prov. 10.28 “The hope of the just brings joy”: this activity of hope allows us to believe; it further allows us to experience true joy, and is a way in which we discover the divine. It was expressed in the lives of our forefathers, written in Heb. 11. 12-14 that says’: “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.” This speaks of an intimate experience of people with their hope and faith. That faith in the divine incorporates trust that can only be found in the words and works of the God, and are greatly expressed in our relationship with him. For, he alone possesses action with whom one finds neither blemish nor faults. Thus, He is worthy of our trust, this kind of trust is well spoken of in psalms 115 to 118, which are the ancestral hymns mentioned in Wisdom 18:9. They speak of the personal and communal experience of the chosen people of the God.
We gain access to the divine knowledge through our Lord Jesus Christ. We can recall the way of life that was given to Moses – the TORAH through which one can access God. The same commandments the Lord summarizes in the way of Love and in the Gospel passage from Luke for today. We are sure about the demand of this faith that is in Lk: 12. 47-48, which says: “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.” Through access to knowledge of God’s will, it is demanded of us to act according to what we know, and since it was fully revealed to us by the same Lord. Thus, we ought to know and act according to our knowledge of Jesus Christ which is to act out of Love of God, of self and of our Neighbors. Our faith holds us accountable in every action that we take now and will take in the future.
For Reflection and Discussion: Does our hope in the Messiah help us to experience that faith of the fathers?
Bibliography: Â The Catholic Study Bible 3rd ed. New American Bible Revised Edition (2016) Oxford University Press.
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Jefferson Philip Jacob Reyes, Israel, Bat Kol Alumnus: 2018
Comments are closed