Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year C

Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19; Luke 12:32-48

See that you are dressed for action

The Gospel reading for this Sunday invites us to be ready and dressed for action. We remember the Gospel from last Sunday, where the rich man, seeing the bumper harvest he had, thinks of building bigger barns and store all the wealth to himself and doesn’t even give a second thought of sharing it with the other. Unfortunately for him, he is demanded of his soul that night, and all his wealth ends up with someone else! He was not ready and dressed for action when that happened. What about me?

Each one of us are called to listen to God’s word. The word of God is a treasure which helps us to live a meaningful life. When we live our life meaningfully, we are also called to share the source of that meaningfulness, the treasure of the Word of God, with each other, to enrich their life as well. It is more easily said than done. Basically because each one of us have different priorities to live our life meaningfully and each one of us respond differently to the Word of God. Surprisingly, that is the beauty of it! Because we respond differently, our witness to the Word of God becomes unique. And because our witness is unique, our way of life becomes unique and because our way of life is unique, we can bring meaning to people’s life in our own ways. For example, Mother Teresa of Kolkata witnessed to the Word of God in a different way than Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

Secondly, the Word of God is richer than the material wealth; it is permanent. We do need material wealth to live a pleasant life, but that is not the end. Material wealth is a means which helps us in our journey of life. When we are called to be ready and dressed for action, we are called to live and share this richness of the Word of God.

Unfortunately, (sometimes!!) as Catholics, we tend to be self-centred, to live as if we ‘own’ this wealth of the Word of God. We struggle to share it with others. In the process we end up excluding people from joining us and stop them from journeying along to find the meaning of life. We tend to show finger at others and feel we are better than ‘them’. Jesus challenges this attitude and invites us to be open.

Be ready for action means, be open to share this wealth with others. Be ready to witness as you have experienced this treasure. Be dressed to go out and stand strong to your faith in Christ. Be bold to profess what you believe. And be happy to live a life that is meaningful, which is inspired by the Word of God.

So, let us be dressed and ready for action with Christ. May our life be filled with joy of the Word of God. And may we continue to witness and live as the followers of Christ. Amen.