Wis. 18:6-9; Heb.11:1-2, 8-19; LK 12:32-48
Columbia,
on mission STS-107, left Earth on Jan. 16, 2003, with 7 crew members. The seven-members
were Rick Husband, commander; Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, William McCool
and Ilan Ramon. They spent 24 hours a day doing science experiments in two shifts. They performed around 80 experiments in life sciences, material sciences, fluid physics and other matters. Everything was well planned. On Feb. 1, 2003, the shuttle made its usual landing approach to the Kennedy Space Centre.
and Ilan Ramon. They spent 24 hours a day doing science experiments in two shifts. They performed around 80 experiments in life sciences, material sciences, fluid physics and other matters. Everything was well planned. On Feb. 1, 2003, the shuttle made its usual landing approach to the Kennedy Space Centre.
Here
down below hundreds of scientists were working and waiting for the successful
completion of the mission. The whole world was watching them eagerly. The
family members of seven crew were longing to welcome them back. But it was
destined to be different. The Columbia disintegrated shortly
before it was scheduled to conclude. For all the seven crew it was their last
moments. Their plans and God's plan for them were not the same.
In
today's Gospel reading Jesus tells his listeners to be ready every moment to
accept God's plan for us.
Jesus
explained this great mystery in a simple way. He said to them "Be
dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for
their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door
for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the
master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and
have the sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during
the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those
slaves."
All the
Aircrafts have a predetermined schedule. They take off with a definite plan to
land in a particular Airport at a specific time. But when we are seated
the first things is to listen to safety instructions. All are instructed
how to use oxygen mask, how to put on life jackets and how to inflate it.
It shows that we have to be ready for any emergency at any point.
Human
life can be compared to this simple action. We plan our life, get education,
get employed, buy property, build house, get married, have children, take
insurance schemes and plan our life for 80, 90 or hundred years. This is
the wise thing to do. But if the call comes from God at a point during the
course of human planning are we prepared to accept it without regret?
Jesus
tells us to be prepared, "persevering in our living faith." He tells
us two things. First, those who persevere in their living faith, they are
blessed. Secondly, faith and patience are regarded as spiritual virtues that
are so great in the eyes of God. As a reward to those who possess these
qualities, Jesus will sit down with them, serve them and eat with them in the Kingdom
of God.
Today's
First Reading speaks to us about the faith and patience of God's people during
their days of captivity in Egypt. In secret, they offered sacrifices and lived
according to the Divine Law. Their faith and perseverance, through both, blessings
and dangers, were in the hope of sharing in the glory of the saints. [Wis.
18:9]
The
Second Reading tells us of the faith and patience of Abraham. [Heb. 11:8-9]
Abraham obeyed God and left his homeland for the Promised Land. There he lived
in tents throughout his entire life, always looking towards to the promised
city.
Abraham excelled in faith and patience. He believed that his wife would conceive, even when she was too old. [Heb. 11:11] He believed that although he was in his old age, descendants would be born of him, these numbering as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. [Heb. 11:12] When asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, he believed that God could raise someone from the dead. [Heb. 17-19] In all things, Abraham had faith in God, patiently waiting to see how the goodness of God would develop. Such faith and patience is the model that all Christians should strive to imitate.
Abraham excelled in faith and patience. He believed that his wife would conceive, even when she was too old. [Heb. 11:11] He believed that although he was in his old age, descendants would be born of him, these numbering as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. [Heb. 11:12] When asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, he believed that God could raise someone from the dead. [Heb. 17-19] In all things, Abraham had faith in God, patiently waiting to see how the goodness of God would develop. Such faith and patience is the model that all Christians should strive to imitate.
Jesus
instructed his listeners: 'Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an
unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
On his
death bed, a wealthy man wants to find out if it's really true that you can't
take anything with you when you die. So he tells his friends to bury him with a
bag full of gold bricks. When the man wakes up in heaven, he is happy to see
that indeed the bag of gold is now in his hand. And so with a lot of effort and
straining and time, he's drag this incredibly heavy bag up to the pearly gates.
There,
St. Peter is standing, ready to welcome him in. But before he does, Peter
notices he has a bag in his hand. "What do you have there with you?"
he asks the man.
The man
proudly answers, "Well, you know how they say you can't take it with you.
I wanted to see if that is true. So I brought my finest treasure with me."
Peter,
excited to see what this great treasure is, responds back, "Well, let's
see what you have in the bag." So Peter walks over, opens it up, and looks
inside. Then he lifts his head up, looking confused. The man sees St. Peter
glance back through the pearly gates at the streets of heaven lined with gold,
just like the gold in this man's bag.
Then
Peter grabs a gold bar out of the bag. And holding it in front of the man, he
says, "So let me get this straight. You dragged this bag all over heaven
and earth. It's heavy and burdensome. It's made you late for getting into
heaven. And out of everything you could have brought up to heaven with you, you
decided to bring more street pavement!"
In God's
kingdom, gold is nothing more than street pavement. True treasure lies
elsewhere.
It is
human nature that we will be very much inclined to our possessions – house,
property, investments and other worldly treasures. Our concentration will be
always towards them. So Jesus says: “For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also."
All these
wealth are perishable. Along with making our life comfortable by our little
possessions we can also build something long lasting. The little words of
comfort we share with the troubled, the little look of sympathy we offer,
the little act of kindness, the little financial support to the needy –
all will get accumulated as unfailing treasures. Once we start doing it automatically
it will become our habit, and the habit will lead to developing a noble
character. Jesus demands it from each of the members of his chosen
family.
Jesus
ends the parable with a warning. "From everyone to whom much has been
given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted,
even more will be demanded." [Lk. 12:32-48]
Satish