Sunday Reflections

This season of grace, Advent, calls us to “stay awake”.  This is not like the difficulty to stay awake when we are over tired, and ‘nod off’, perhaps in front of the television or during a meeting or class.  Jesus calls us to “stay awake” to His presence, and the work of grace in, through, and around us.  Our ‘sleep’ dulls our awareness of these realities, and we miss out on opportunities to share more deeply in the life of Christ, and to share that life with others.  Advent is a time to prepare ourselves spiritually for the celebration of the birth of the Saviour. 

This Sunday is also known as the last Sunday of our present liturgical year or the 34^th Sunday of Year C. 

In a few weeks, we will be coming to the end of our liturgical year and begin the season of Advent.  During this time, our readings will centre on the theme of the ‘end times” where there will be the final judgement of God on all creation. This thought can provoke fear in each of us, particularly after reading Luke’s gospel of Jesus speaking of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and how there will be wars and insurrections, disaster and persecutions that will first take place. After all, the temple was a sign to the early Christians of the presence of God.

In our gospel today, Jesus responds to the Sadducees—who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead on the last day—that our God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. After all, Jesus states, God revealed Godself to Moses as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, all of whom were long dead in history before Moses ever lived.

Zacchaeus appeared, to the people of Jericho, to be the last and least person with whom Jesus should have visited.  He was despised by his fellow Jews, collecting the (unjust) taxes for the Roman conquerors.  Yet, he was the one Jesus chose to grace by his presence in his home – and it was indeed a ‘grace’.  This brought about the conversion of Zacchaeus, reflected by his returning of the money he took (unlawfully) from the people in Jericho.  Indeed, salvation had come to him!  That same Jesus wants to come to us, and bring about the same ‘grace’ of conversion.&nbs

“Today’s readings offer valuable lessons concerning trust and humility, both of which serve as important criteria for Christians in developing healthy prayer practices and a deeper relationship with God” (Matt Charbonneau, “30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time,” Living With Christ, October 2019).  Today’s first Communion Antiphon focuses on our receiving God’s saving help (which is always present) and joyfully praising God for it.  Note also that the word-concept “righteousness/righteous” occurs in the First Reading, the Psalm Response, the Second Reading, and the Gospel

In today’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus tells the parable of the widow who cries to the judge for justice.  It is important to contextualize this story with the opening line of Gospel: “Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” and with the closing line of the Gospel: “And yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth.” Let us spend a moment each on prayer, not losing heart and faith.

I have always been encouraged by St. Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians when he talks about “a thorn in the flesh that was given to me.” He tells us that he asked God to take this away—whatever it was—three times, but God’s response was that God’s grace would be sufficient for Paul, and that God’s power would best be manifested through Paul’s weakness (2 Cor 12:7-9).

The responsibilities we encounter in life are many, and some of them demanding and difficult.  The images in the gospel remind us to be responsible in our vocations and in the roles, we have accepted in life (such as our job).  Sometimes we may fulfill our responsibilities, our “duty”, grudgingly or halfway.  We may feel some things as ‘beneath’ us.  But, the example in the gospel shows us that our service should be with gratitude and joy.  We are using well the time, talents and treasure that God has given us.  We are faithful stewards!  May this gospel e

Today is also the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, who are dear to and close to Pope Francis’ heart.  Today there is also a collection for the needs of the Church in Canada (please be generous here).  And, lastly, the commentary today will be a bit longer than usual because of the importance and difficulty of the central content, i.e., Christianity/Catholicism and wealth/riches.  The Entrance Antiphon, which is biblical, sets the context of our reflection today with hard words on not hearing what God tells us to do; these words are based on parts of the segment of Daniel 3