“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus’ advice to his disciples alludes to the first Passover, mentioned in the first reading, when the Israelites were cautioned to be ready on moment’s notice to leave Egypt for the Promised Land. Early Christians honestly anticipated the return of Christ in their lifetime, thus Luke was urging them to be prepared for the moment when he did.
Faith prompted them to be prepared. The author of our second reading speaks of faith but what does the word mean to you? I imagine we would have many definitions if everyone present shared their personal meanings.
Consider the definition given in Hebrews, clear and to the point, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” That is the only explicit definition of faith found in the Bible. The letter then illustrates its point with the example of Abraham and Sarah, who dared to leave behind the familiar to journey into the unknown.
Consider what Jesus said at the end of his parable, “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Someday, we too will leave behind what is familiar and venture into the unknown.
With all that is happening in the world today, it might be more exciting to ponder the end of the world, but the odds are we will not be around for that event. Jesus isn’t speaking only of the end times, but also of when time ends for us. We do not know the time, place, or date of our personal end, thus he is urging us to be vigilant until he returns.
In return for being vigilant, the servants will find their master waiting upon them. That sounds like a foretaste of heaven. Jesus is calling on each of us to serve him in this lifetime in preparation for the day when he returns to serve us at the heavenly banquet. Our master’s return will be a glorious day for those who believe in him and have sought to know him through prayer, scripture, and works of mercy. On that day he will acknowledge our service and shower us with love.
We tend to carry on our lives as if we “have all the time in the world.” But we don’t. There are a finite number of days to our earthly lifetimes. As is noted in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is an appointed time in the heavens for every affair …a time to be born and a time to die.” We see people die, some suddenly, others after a long illness and their passing reminds us that life is fragile and fleeting. In all likelihood death will catch us off guard. When that moment arrives, will you be afraid or will you be at peace with yourself? There is no need to fear if we live this life vigilantly.
Without question, the hour of our death will be a significant moment in our lives. The manner in which we will spend eternity depends on where we are with God when we cross the threshold of death. When we truly embrace the spirit of the gospel, we can live our days in joyful anticipation of the life yet to come.
Some people say that if we focus on the afterlife, we neglect this world. Not so. People who focus on eternity are often the ones who do the most in this world. They see every hour of every day as an hour of the Lord’s coming and knocking. Jesus comes to us in those we meet, in the circumstances of our daily lives, and in the signs of our times. The gospel is an invitation to be more fully alive, more attentive, and more aware that Christ is always in our midst.
Faith is a necessary part of any fully human life. Faith motivates us to live the way shown by God. Faith prompts us to gather for worship. Faith prompts us to live in the manner Christ has taught us. Faith enables us to weather the difficult times and like Abraham, we have all faced them. Faith prompts us to hope in eternal life. Faith provides us with the conviction that heaven is there with all its many blessings even though we haven’t seen it.
Often I close funeral homilies with the hope that we will meet our loved ones again in heaven. Such is the dream we all have when our loved ones have died. That is faith, our conviction in something we have yet to see yet look forward to when the appointed time comes.
The life we want to save is our eternal life but that can’t be done without faith in God who unconditionally loves us. No matter what you and I have done thus far in life or failed to do, no matter what condition we are in now, we can still make a new beginning. With God’s help we can put things in order and be ready when the moment comes that we meet our Lord. May our faith be stronger yet on the day of our Passover to eternal life when we meet God face to face.