Pastor's Letter 20220807 - 07 August 2022 - Destiny Shaped by Faith

[Father Michael]

 

August 7^th, 2022

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Message from Father †Michael

Today’s Theme:  

“Destiny, Shaped by Faith”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

Our First Reading today, written in Alexandria, was written to strengthen the faith of the people (Wisdom 18:6-9,)—and help them rediscover and maintain the richness of their heritage and traditions.  Taken from the second part of the book, it is an extended homily on salvation history, in particular the exodus experience as a pivotal even in Israel’s development as a people.  Whereas, Israel is presented alone as “chosen by God,” Egypt suffered a deserved punishment from the very phenomena that spelled blessings for God’s people.  

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Everyone has an “Isaac,” some person, attitude, place or possession without which we think we have no identity, no future and no possibility for happiness.  For Abraham, his cherished son, Isaac, was all these and more.  His authentic faith in God, demonstrated by his willingness to let go of Isaac in sacrifice, is praised by the author of our First Reading (Hebrews 1:1-2; 8-19.)  In it, we learn that a healthy balance of assurance and conviction enables believers to maintain both the intrinsic and everlasting dimensions of faith.  All the faithful are challenged to “let go” of their “Isaacs”—fears, preconceived ideas, possessions and attitudes—that hinder true faith.  In doing so, we allow God to become a more recognized and present part of our lives.

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A compilation of parables and sayings on judgment and vigilance, today’s Gospel bears evidence of all three stages of textual development—Jesus, Church, evangelist (Luke 12:32-48.)  When Jesus did not return to earth, as expected by the early Christians, the Church celebrated the Holy Eucharist, aware of Jesus’ presence within it—in hopeful anticipation of His Second Coming.  This selection underscores the certainty, with which His return is held, and our need for responsible stewardship has not lessened, nor can our  attitude of watchfulness be relaxed.

(Note: the following message is an excerpt of one that I wrote in 2019.  I think it is particularly poignant for today.)  

Living with Uncertainty

Whenever we travel on an airliner, before the flight gets underway, one of the flight attendants dutifully delivers the following statements:  “We’d like to acquaint you with some of the safety features of our aircraft.” (Holding up a laminated card, they continue:) “You are advised you may retrieve your personal copy from the pouch in the seat pocket in front of you, and follow along.”  Then you will hear instructions on wearing/buckling your seatbelt, how the oxygen masks will deploy “in case of a change in cabin pressure,” and the one of which I’m quite fond:  “In case of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device.”  (Southwest Airlines crew sometimes say, “In case our flight becomes a cruise….”)  

Finally, your attention is called to the strip of lights along the floor that will lead you to an emergency exit, “The closest of which may be behind you.”  The idea behind all this, aside from the legal considerations, is to help passengers be prepared for the unexpected.  Few people pay much attention to these rote speeches, often given in rapid monotone, and, for some passengers, they might even promote anxiety.  

Today’s Gospel also gives us some instructions regarding the “flight of life,” in which we are all involved.  Jesus tells us to “be prepared for the unexpected.”  Like faithful servants, we should all keep ourselves in a state of readiness/preparedness—not in fear, but in trust and hope.  

As some of you know, I suffered an aortic aneurysm, several years ago.  It felt like a heart attack, with shortness of breath, chest pains, and pain radiating down my left arm.  Upon admittance to the Heart Hospital in Albuquerque, the tests showed a 5-7cm dissection in my ascending aorta, which, had it burst, I learned would have been immediately fatal.  There was a discussion about surgery to correct the problem, however, because of its location, I was told closest facility able to perform such an operation was the Hospital at Baylor University, in Dallas, should it have been deemed necessary.  Meanwhile, I was to be confined in ICU and the condition would be closely monitored, as I received mitigating pharmaceuticals.  

My reaction was, “Well, I guess I should get my affairs in order, and say ‘goodbye.’ ”  I did just that, and resigned myself to my own “Second Coming of Christ.”  

Lucky for me, the drugs and rest worked, and the aneurysm was healed* during the course of the next 10-days, as many cat-scans attested.  A regimen of further medication, limited stress and rest was prescribed, and I went home, eventually returning to work in a couple weeks.  

*It was determined [in 2021] that I required a new aortic valve and ascending aorta, and I underwent corrective surgery.

The upshot of this affair was my taking an inventory of myself, vis-à-vis my readiness to die.  Since that time, I have considered my life a “bonus,” and have attempted to maximize its benefits.  I continue in a rather “settled” manner of living, to this very day.  

Most of us become increasingly aware of how fleeting are the days of our lives and how precarious is the hold we have on them.  We are not made of stone, but of very fragile material.  Life can be taken away from us in the “twinkling of an eye.”  However, life’s brevity and fragility illustrates how precious is the treasure we carry in “earthen vessels.”  

Jesus was certainly aware of the uncertainty of life.  His parable of the “Watchful servants awaiting the master’s return,” stresses that death can come at any moment.  It isn’t that God is trying to catch us unaware, like a thief breaking into our house.  That would be unthinkable.  Death, not God, is the thief that robs us of life.  

The Faithful Servant

Many people believe that happiness lies in having no commitments—no one to whom they must answer; no one whose problems or needs will ever tie them down.  But, in fact, the opposite is true.  A person’s happiness and fulfillment lie, not in freedom, but in the acceptance of duty.  But it must be a duty lovingly accepted, not grimly resigned.  

Whoever performs only “their duty” is acting in a minimalist fashion.  The more difficult the tasks to which we devote ourselves, out of love, the more we will be exalted in the sight of God.  The greatest grace in life, the greatest freedom, is finding those things we have to do are really those we “love” to do.  

Here are a couple inspirational quotes from notable people on this subject:

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy.  I woke and found that life was duty.  I acted, and behold duty was joy!” ~~Rabindranath Tagore-1913 Nobel Prize Laureate~~ 

“Will the day ever come when joy is great and sorrow small?  On the day we feel we are living with a duty, well fulfilled and worth our while, on that day joy is great and we can look on sorrow as being small.” ~~Dag Hammarskjold-Secretary General of the UN, 1953~~

May God Richly Bless You!

To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: https://youtu.be/VkaXiJc7H_UGreat Is Thy Faithfulness.docx

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Father Michael