Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading — Your ancestors waited in faith and courage for God’s promised summons (Wisdom 18:6-9).
Psalm — Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own (Psalm 33).
Second Reading — Because of his faithful obedience to God’s call, Abraham’s descendants number as the stars (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 [1-2, 8-12]).
Gospel — Keep watch and be prepared, for you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will appear (Luke 12:32-48 [35-40]).

FAITH
Our readings today explore how faith begins and how faith works. Faith begins with God’s initiative of love, together with God’s promise about the future. The passage from Hebrews urges readers to have an assured confidence in God, who promised and delivered a lasting legacy to Abraham. The book of Wisdom reminds readers of the God who promised and delivered freedom from slavery during the Exodus. In the Gospel passage from Luke, Jesus begins with the promise that “your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom,” before describing how to live faithfully during times when God seems absent. God’s promises mean that God is fully invested in our future. Living in these promises, we can confidently let go of fear and insecurity. We can anticipate that when God intervenes in our lives, it will be for our benefit. And we can become God’s partners in fulfilling these divine promises.
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