The Father has given you the Kingdom

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); 8-11-2019

Wis 18:6-9   Ps 33   Heb 11:1-2,8-19   Lk 12:32-48

Deacon Jim McFadden

 

            Do you know how you can pick out a Christian? They are the ones who enjoy life. When we set our hearts on the Kingdom of God, we will not only realize our destiny of attaining eternal life, but we will learn what it means to be truly human here and now. In so doing, we will thoroughly enjoy life. We will live without fear or anxiety because we are “moving, living, and having our being in Christ Jesus.” How could we not be joyful? As French Jesuit, Teilhard de Chardin once put it: “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.”

            So, when we hear Jesus say in today’s Gospel “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for our Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom”

(Lk 12:32), he is, in effect, telling us to relax; we don’t’ have to work for the Kingdom because it’s already ours. We don’t have to earn spiritual “brownie points”; we don’t’ have to work for God’s gifts. The Lord has given us His Kingdom; we just have to accept it and live out of the reality. So, stop trying to be saved; you’re saved already. Just accept it! Insofar as we believe this, insofar as we let it happen each moment, we will experience the Kingdom and we will be joyful!

The bottom line then is simply to believe. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, he says that “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). It’s right here, sisters and brothers: we know that there is a God, that He sent His only begotten Son to us for our salvation, that He suffered, died, and rose from the dead. Jesus is risen and He is alive! That means that our Lord is present to us here and now, and that He keeps His promises.

Such faith drives out anxiety. Anxious persons, rather than gazing upon God, turn in upon themselves, which is why they do not enjoy life because they are not present to the moment where God is. Seeking to be in control, they complain that life does not meet their agenda; they cannot accept what is. They worry a lot because they’re burden by so many ‘what if’ thoughts. They reduce the moment to a means to a future expectation which takes the joy out of what they are doing here and now. They are literally waiting to start living. With such a mindset, no matter how much they have, no matter how much they’ve achieved, no matter how much pleasure they have enjoyed, no matter how much control they have, they’re never satisfied: the present moment will never be good enough; the future will always seem better.

The Gospel, however, has freed us from micromanaging our lives, from groveling before God or manipulating God to earn His approval. We all have that approval already! “The Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” When? Right now! Where? Right here! That’s it: when we genuinely appreciate that God loves us unconditionally, life simply gets easier “For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Mt 11:30).

If we have this attitude, it’s easy to understand what Jesus says next in today’s Gospel: “Sell your possessions 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 you treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Lk 12:33-34). How do we measure up to this challenge? The simplest rule of thumb for each of us is to ask, “Where do we spend our time and where do we spend our money?” That’s where our treasure is, we can be sure. Our behavior reflects our beliefs. So, check out where you stand: take a look at your calendar and see how you spend you day; take a look at your checkbook or credit card statement to see how you spend your money. Are they significantly geared towards justice. Are you sharing your life, your talent, your treasure with others? Do we put God at the center of what we do, which is reflected in how we serve others? The focus of our time and treasure will tell us who or what our Ultimate Concern is and what is important in our life.

Then comes the call to be awake, to be ready for the master’s return, to live life in the present (vs. 35-40). Jesus is not calling us to be afraid of God or warning us about God. Jesus is not saying, “God’s right around the corner and is out to get you” Rather, he is warning us about missing life. He is saying, “It’s all right here and now.” God is with us and in us, sustaining and loving us each moment. Live in the moment and celebrate God’s presence! Don’t let life just float along. Choose life each moment. Enjoy each moment because is here and now! Treasure the simply joys of friendship, family, solidarity with the poor, nature, animals, literature, music, and the arts. Live each moment! In St. Catherine of Siena’s words, ”It’s heaven, all the way to heaven, and hell all the way to hell.” Amen.