Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 7, 2022 Cycle C

Fr. José Maria Cortes, F.S.C.B.
Pastor of the Church of St. Peter, North St. Paul, Minnesota

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Sunday Reading Meditations


Today’s readings invite us to be vigilant. Today's alleluia refrain says: “Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Life is serious. Ours is an eternal destiny. Nevertheless, nowadays many seem to be oblivious to life’s eternal horizon.

According to our Catholic faith, “those who die before the parousia, His second coming, will be judged immediately at their deaths. This is known as the particular judgment. The Epistle to the Hebrews says: ‘It is appointed to men to die once, and after that comes the judgment’ (Heb 9:27). Then, ‘Each one will receive his pay, according to his works’ (1 Cor 3:8).

“There are three possible outcomes to the particular judgment. Those whose love for God has been perfected in this life are taken straight to heaven, where they enjoy endless happiness in the face to face vision of God. Those who die in God's love but still love Him imperfectly must be purified in the intermediate state of purgatory. Those, however, who reject God's love by mortal sin and die without repenting are condemned to the everlasting torments of hell.”

We are called to live our lives responsibly. God is a good father. He wants to give us the kingdom. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). However, our salvation is not automatic. We have not been saved yet. Life is dramatic. We can either accept or reject God. Jesus says in the Gospel: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival” (Lk 12:47) but also 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” (Lk 12:47). Jesus does not tell us this parable to frighten us. He loves us and wants to save us.

In this world, we should live in anticipation of Jesus’ coming. As St. Paul says, “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).

This implies that we should not place our hope in the things of this world. Jesus says: “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” (Lk 12:33–34).

Today’s second reading invites us to live by faith in this world. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews defines faith as follows: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). It was by faith that Abraham received the Promised Land and became the father of many nations. Faith gives us a foretaste of heaven. The servant who is waiting for Jesus will be put in charge of all his property: “Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property.” Faith gives us the possession of what we truly need to fulfill our lives. Faith gives us the possession of happiness. Faith gives us the possession of God himself.

Today’s responsorial psalm says: “Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you” (Ps 33:20–22). Let us wait for the Lord and let us live by faith. May our prayer always be “Come, Lord Jesus!”  Amen.