FAITHFULNESS AND ITS REWARD

HOMILY FOR 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – C

THEME: FAITHFULNESS AND ITS REWARD

R1: Wisdom 18:6-9

R2: Hebrews 11:1-2. 8-19

Gospel: Luke 12:32-48_

When I was in primary four, I started going for catechism class for the reception of first Holy Communion. One of the first things we were being taught is the answer to the questions, what is faith? We were always waiting for whenever the seminarian (our catechism teacher) would ask that question. When asked, usually we echoed, though Igbo Language: “Faith is supernatural gift of God, which enables us to believe without doubting whatever God has revealed.” This answer prepared us for the journey ahead and strengthened our belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Sacred Host.

Dear friends, today’s readings talk about faith. Faith is a gift. This gift is only given by God to His people. Every Christian receives this gift of faith at the moment of baptism when we reject Satan and his vain glories and choose to follow Christ, and also in our different capacities of followership when we have decided to make Christ our personal Lord and saviour.  When we accept this call to divine followership, we are accepting a responsibility. This responsibility has two folds that are inseparably one; to love God and to love neighbour. As a proof of this responsibility, one needs to adopt practical steps towards the needs of those around him/her as this will open the way to his/her participation in the life of heaven. This is what is called *active faith.*

An *ACTIVE FAITH* is the faith that is practical. It is the faith that is demonstrated in action. Such action is what Jesus calls us to do in the Gospel Reading; “Sell your possessions and give alms.” This will make you have treasure in heaven. The advice of Jesus is a correction to the mistake of the ‘Rich Fool’ of last Sunday, whose insensitivity to needs of those around led to his death. Hence, the first thing towards an active faith is a movement. This movement is always towards the doing the good, because there is no faith without action, “Faith without good work is dead” (James 2:14-26). 

Every Christian must always make this movement if the person must attend the eternal blessedness revealed by God through Christ. As an example of this, the Second Reading presents Abraham and Sarah who made this ultimate movement in their choice of God, trusting even without seeing immediately that God’s word will never fail. They received the reward of their movement; a blessing that extends to their generations forever. Such blessedness awaits anyone who is actively faithful to God’s commands. A Christian that is actively faithful is prepared to receive the eternal reward *(heaven)* upon the return of his master. 

The journey of faith is a struggle, it is challenging, hence, sometimes doubts come in and one becomes passive *(PASSIVE FAITH).* The second part of the gospel reading is a warning against instability or being passive (ihe chi fotara) in faith. The gift God has given to us must always be fanned into flame. Anyone who thinks the master has delayed in coming and decides to take break from his active duty of Christian followership will receive strokes of the cane *(purgatory)* upon the master’s return. The strokes of the cane indicate a punishment.  After that punishment the servant will be set free. This is what happens at purgatory, a place where unfaithful Christians are being purged (punished) temporarily for their unfaithfulness. 

If one is not careful, one’s faith may become *INACTIVE.* This happens if one lacks foresight. This type of faith is selfish; it is self-centred and insensitive to God’s existence and to the needs of others (problem of the Rich Fool). This is when one intentionally turns away from God and neighbour or any of them, or refuses to make a movement towards doing the good. Here Jesus warns that the reward for this is cutting off and sending such a servant to where the unfaithful (Satan) is. Here Jesus is referring to *Hell Fire* as a reward for an inactive faith. Watch out against it. 

Dear friends, we have all received one faith from God. Our attitude or response determines what result we shall get. The readings of today are challenging us to follow the example of father in faith (Abraham) in being faithful as that will result to our eternal blessedness. This call to faithfulness is a fundamental necessity especially within this time that Christianity is facing trials. Recently, there are many people who see Christianity as a scam. Watch out against losing your faith to the lair (devil) and his agents. Remember, the devil is moving about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Be active in faith every time because you do not know at what hour the Son of God shall come.

*Rev. Fr. Chukwuemeka VINCENT Livinus, SMMM.*