Worcester, MA | Philadelphia, PA | Chaparral, NM
Wisdom 18: 6-9
Hebrews 11: 1 - 2, 8 - 19
Luke 12: 32 - 48
The Eucharistic Dimension of our Lives
The texts of todays liturgy invite us to praise, faith and service. The Book of Wisdom, by recalling the prodigies worked for the Hebrews on the night of Passover, aims to lead the listener to recognize the Lord, and in recognizing him, to praise God. Praise is both memory of past promises and trust for the future. On being reminded of the Passover, the faithful intoned the songs of praise learned from their ancestors. They praised God as their liberator even before they had been liberated themselves. At the same time, their praise created a people of brothers and sisters: they shared the best as well as the worst of their times. The Letter to the Hebrews recalls and bears witness to their faith: this commemoration aims at eliciting our faith in the present and inspiring hope for the future.
Jesus invites his disciples to be watchful and ready. He compares them to servants whose master, having gone to a wedding, could return at any moment. A second parable invites us to be vigilant like the householder who cant guess at what hour a robber will come. This exhortation is especially for those who are responsible for others. Jesus will take up this invitation to vigilance and service again in Chapter 17 (vv. 7-10). A servant, after having plowed or taken care of the animals, is expected to serve at table also. Thus, the disciples should realize that, before the Lord, they are just simple servants. To put the Word of God into practice and to serve others means giving without counting the cost. Nevertheless, these servants will be rewarded by a strange reversal of roles: the Lord, himself, will serve them the one who is there, in their midst as the one who serves, (22, 27).
To remember with faith and hope, to give thanks and serve here is the Eucharistic dimension we have to inscribe in our lives.
—Sr. Sophie Ramond, RA