Readings: Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33; Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Lk 12:32-48
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Today's Gospel reading reminds me of the old story of the apparition on the corner of Main and Market in a busy city.
It was Saturday morning when Fr. O'Brien heard a knock on the rectory door and an extremely excited parishioner said, "The Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market." As Father was trying to decide from what kind of mental illness she was suffering, a second person ran up to the door, "Father, Father, the Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market."
"When?" Fr. O'Brien asked. "He's there right now," they both answered. So Fr. O'Brien went down the block where a large crowd had formed, and sure enough, he saw Jesus. After a few moments Jesus looked intently at the priest and then disappeared.
Fr. O'Brien didn't know what to do, and called a wise monsignor friend of his, who told him to call the bishop. So he called the bishop and, after relating what had happened, asked, "What should I do if Jesus comes back?"
After a moment the bishop said, "Look, Father, let me think about it and get back to you." The bishop then called Rome, and, since he was an important bishop, he was put through to the pope.
"Holy Father," he said, "One of my priests, Fr. O'Brien, reports that the Lord has appeared on the corner of Main and Market in his parish. He wants to know what to do if the Lord returns."
After a brief moment the pope replied, "Tell Fr. O'Brien to look busy."
Yes, look busy, for the Lord is returning. But, of course, as the pope actually knows, it's not enough just to look busy is it? We have to be busy as well. And there's a lot to keep us busy.
People all around us are lost, seeking meaning in their broken lives. And we Christians, we Catholics, have been given the answer. Wrapped up in our faith is our recognition of the reason for existence.
We humans love to complicate things, while God always simplifies. And the answer to all questions is simple: the answer to all questions is Jesus Christ. It's an answer we can offer to others simply by our attitude toward life itself, and by how we live that life, by how we place God first in every aspect of our lives - out there in the world, here among us, and here within each of us. This complicated world of ours really becomes very simple when we make it clear to ourselves that by God's presence we are enriched beyond measure.
Brothers and sisters, as we each come to a deeper understanding of Jesus' presence in our lives, He is like that pearl of great price the merchant in the Gospel parable sacrificed everything to obtain. When every aspect of our lives is centered on our relationship with God, we will reject those things that distract us from the His Divine Presence.
For example, we don't avoid immorality just because the Church says something is bad. We avoid immorality because by doing so we refuse to allow immorality to cloud the Presence of the Lord within us, or even to steal Jesus from us. Isn't it interesting that virtually all sinful things are habitual, almost addictive, things, that they take over our lives leaving no room for God.
Yes, holding on to Jesus will definitely keep us busy - busy fighting against our imperfections and weaknesses, busy fighting against temptations. And if we truly live our faith in the world, we'll also be kept busy dealing with those who mock us for our Christianity, for living our Catholic Faith. These attacks can overwhelm; it's not easy to defend God in a world that's turned against Him.
If you're blessed with children (and grandchildren) you struggle to keep them close to God, to help them reject the things of the world. It takes a real effort to help them develop into faithful Christians, all the while realizing that at some point they must make their own decisions. All we can do is provide love and direction and help them accept God's gift of faith. When we do this work, when we provide this love, when children experience Jesus Christ in their homes, God will work wonders in their lives.
Yes, being busy for God keeps you busy. It means doing all the important things in your home: praying together as a family, every day; reading the Bible together, every day. It means letting our children know, and reminding ourselves, that God is there waiting for us to come to Him in prayer. Regardless of your occupation, you can do no greater work than opening your children to their spiritual potential. And, yes, it will keep you busy. Our parental responsibility doesn't disappear just because our children have grown. Oh, it changes, it changes radically, but it doesn't disappear.
Standing up for the Lord also keeps us busy. This applies to us all, married or single. Each of us must treasure the Divine Presence within us. If you're single: your lives should reflect your active Christianity. The Church depends on you, our committed singles, to be generous with your time.
For those of you who are married: a successful marriage takes work, hard work - but it's the work of the Lord when it involves His sacrificial Love. It is not easy to express love as the Lord created Love, as an act of giving, especially when we live in a culture that says love is a way of taking satisfaction from someone else.
Yes, our culture has degraded marriage to the point that its success is measured in proportion to the satisfaction generated by all sorts of things from pharmaceuticals to who knows what...Married Christians can withstand this exploitation of their sacrament by seeking ever new ways to give themselves to their spouses in loving, selfless care and concern.
Once again, you have to be busy to make a marriage a Christian marriage. Of course, in this parish most of us have been married for many years, and our children have long since left the nest. Alleluia, Alleluia.
But As Christians we're still called to make the love of Christ real in other people. We must still reach out with the love of Jesus Christ - to our neighbors, to our friends, even to those we meet in the check-out line at Publix - helping them realize they are loved, not just by you, but also by a God whose love knows no bounds.
How did Jesus put it in today's Gospel passage? Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival...And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Yes, brothers and sisters, the Lord is here, so it's not enough just to look busy. We have to be busy, living our Catholic Faith in the world...and we will be blessed.
But let's not forget, too, that the Lord also said:
"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more" [Lk 12:48].As Christians, we have been given a great deal - much of it on trust. Our gift of faith is a treasure for heaven, but we don't always cherish it as one. Indeed, our lives, our gifts, our families -- are all treasures; but, again, we don't always give them the respect and love they deserve.
One day, we'll be called to account for how we have used God's gifts to help others. This can be a frightening prospect, for who among us can be confident that they have done all God has asked of them? But we can't allow fear or anxiety to lead us to despair. For Jesus also refers to the treasures in heaven that await us. And I expect that, alongside the accounting and judgment, there will also be other questions:
"Did you enjoy all that you were given? Did you make time for all the good things God wanted you to experience? Did you take it for granted? Did you share the good things I gave you on trust with others so that they could enjoy them too?"
We have all been entrusted with much, and some of us with even more, and so let's trust in the Lord and keep busy doing His work in the world.
And as He promised, He will respond to our determination to live our faith by caring for us.
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