Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 7, 2016 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[Wis 18:6-9; Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12; Luke 12:32-48 or 12:35-40]SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 2016. NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48] Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. [Hebrews] I have always been a student of history. I grew up in a small town that rejoices in its history as the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. I find fascinating the history of the locations where I am assigned. I read both secular and church history. What continually comes through to me is the faith of people that made it possible for them to endure what seems to me to be terrible conditions to create a life for themselves and a future for their children. The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews that forms the second scripture for today assures me I am not the first person to reflect on the faith of the ancestors. The passage from the Book of Wisdom that forms the first scripture for today shows the same thing. The Gospel of Luke urges us to look to the future coming of Christ and to be prepared for it. I know that there is much to be said for living life one day at a time. That seems to me to rejoice in every brick being laid for a building without any notion of what kind of building will result. I know that just living for another day can be a challenge for some folks, but just that effort must bespeak a faith in the God who summons us toward eternal life. The stubborn faith of our ancestors made our life possible as a church. Our own continued and stubborn faith makes possible what we cannot yet see knowing that others before us felt the same way. AMEN