Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last Lent, I offered a six-week series on Francis of Assisi. One of the books I read in preparation for the series was a book titled, “The Loneliness and Longing of St. Francis.” I mention this book not so much for the sake of Francis but the author, Gerard Thomas Straub. Straub was a Hollywood film maker and a professing atheist. He once had the likes of Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore starring for him. He is also the producer of the famous television series, General Hospital.
In March 1985 Straub visited Rome. One day, overcome by tiredness, he looked for a place to get a little quiet and rest. A near-by church seemed to be the best place. The rest is history. In another book, “The Thoughts of a Blind Beggar,” he writes about what transpired in the church: “Within the space of a fleeting moment, I knew… that God was real, that God loved me, and that the hunger and thirst I had felt for so long could be satisfied only by God.” In that moment, he had changed from being an atheist to someone who acknowledged God. That was only the beginning. Touched by Christ and inspired by Francis, Straub was totally transformed by his newfound faith. Just like Abraham, in today’s first reading, Straub began a new life. His faith led him to places he never imagined going, and to make changes he never imagined he would make. It took him from riches to self-imposed poverty, from head-spinning fame to embracing the poor, from the luxury of his Hollywood lifestyle to the slums of Central America, India, and Africa.
Today, Straub is a renowned documentary filmmaker and the founder and President of Pax et Bonum Communications. His organization produces films focused on the plight of the poor. He's been awarded three honorary doctorates in recognition of his work on behalf of the poor. Till 2020, Straub lived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He now lives in California with his wife and a pet dog.
As I reflected on this Sunday’s readings, I could not but think of Straub. In today’s gospel, Jesus asks his disciples to sell all they have and follow him. He asks them to have the bare minimum for the sake of the kingdom. Instead, he asks them to accumulate treasures in heaven (Lk 12:32-25). This calls for a radical kind of faith and confidence in God! How does somebody build faith like that do it? How can we imitate the faith of Abraham, Francis of Assisi, and Thomas Straub. How do we let the gospel guide our life-journey? My three points today are a reflection on these questions.
Back to the Future
I begin with the first reading from Wisdom. It talks about the Passover - the night that the people of Israel shared the Passover meal and then fled slavery in Egypt. The book of Wisdom was written only about a hundred years before Christ. This means that the author is reflecting on the Passover experience many centuries after the original Passover. The lessons that the author draws from reflecting on the Passover experience are twofold: first, that the Passover was meant to give courage to an afflicted people; and second, that without the explicit knowledge the Hebrew people, they were participating in a holy task, or as the author would say, “the divine institution.” I interpret this to mean that retrospection or looking back at life from the big picture perspective, is vital to growing in faith.
Here, then, is the first practical implication. One way to build faith and confidence in God is to look back. Life is always a mixed bag. However, when we look back, we will be able to see more clearly the time when God undoubtedly carried us through. As I look back at my own life, I see a clear pattern. For example, these days, as the parish priest of five parishes, life is not easy. But if I look back, I see God’s presence at other impossible situations of my life. If God was with me then, God is with me now, and God will take me into the future. This is key – our life of faith today is built on past experiences. With the assurance of the presence of God in the past, we are better able to take faith-filled steps into the future.
Little-By-Little
The second reading is from Hebrews. Once again, the author is reflecting on an event that happened centuries ago in the life of Abraham. Using Abraham’s example, the author tries to impress upon the readers the importance of faith. The author defines faith as, “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1) Abraham did not see the end when he took the first steps in faith. Francis of Assisi did not see the end when he first decided to give up warfare. Straub did not know where God was leading him when he first decided to abandon commercial films. How can we develop such faith?
As I said earlier, the first way is to learn from the past. The second way to develop Abraham-like faith is to practice it. Faith is a ‘learning-by-doing’. If I can suggest a practical implication, it is simply this: think about an area in your life where you would like to grow in faith. Next, take one small step. If you are trying to be more generous, for example, do not think selling your house, but rather, begin by helping someone with one meal. If you want to begin building a good spiritual life, don’t try to read the Bible in one week. Begin with two minutes of silence. When you get good at little steps, it naturally creates the way for you act in faith in bigger things. Faith is a ‘learning-by-doing,’ little by little, one step at a time.
Treasure in Heaven
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says, “Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven… For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Lk 12:32-34). Accumulating treasure in heaven seems such a tedious task. But really it is not.
Accumulating treasure in heaven is not a separate endeavor than developing a life of faith. Rather, it is the result of living in faith. In other words, as we look back at life and discover God’s undeniable presence; as we learn little-by-little, step-by-step learn to live in faith, our hearts get in the right place. Now our focus will gradually turn to things that really matter; our hearts will focus not on earthly treasures but on the treasure of all treasure – our Eternal Destiny, Jesus Christ. And isn’t it true that “where are our treasure is, there also will our hearts be”?
In the final analysis, living in faith and accumulating treasures in heaven is one and the same thing.
As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us bring our faith-life before God. May our life of faith, help is accumulate treasures in heaven.
- Fr. Satish Joseph