Eternal Vigilance

Homily For The THE 19th Sunday in the Ordinary Time. Yr C. August 7, 2022.

Sunday Readings

“The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance” . –Curran

My Dearest Friends in Christ,

We have gathered today as disciples at the feet of our Master Jesus to listen to His Eternal Words of hope and assurance.

The readings of today, especially the Gospel, have three important themes: Store up treasures for yourself in heaven. Be vigilant. Be a faithful and prudent steward in discharging God’s entrusted responsibilities. These three can be summarized as eternal vigilance in a transient world.

Our reflection this morning focuses on being vigilant concerning Eternity in our worldly undertakings and pursuits to avoid being caught up with time. This implies in every situation, engagement and responsibility here on earth, we ought not to lose focus on Eternity. As Tony Robbins would say, where the focus is the energy flows.

Bill Gates’s decision to give out all his wealth in recent times has generated a lot of reactions. Many reacted positively saying that he has now come to the consciousness that being rich is not all that matters; giving or investing in the poor also matters. These persons call his action the best form of investing. Whereas others who reacted negatively said he is tired of competing in business because he knows he can no longer be the richest in the world. Whatever Mr. Gate’s intention for such a salutary action, is not for us to judge. Yet his decision is a noble one. It reflects what Jesus requires from his followers when He says, “Store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven…” Focusing on worldly achievements, amassing wealth and material things while neglecting our spiritual life, and not being generous enough to the poor and the needy around us is a complete loss of focus on Eternity. There is no better way of storing up treasures in heaven than touching and changing lives with our God-given treasures and blessings. Mother Teresa is such an inspiration to us when she says, “Don’t worry about numbers, begin with the person closest to you.”

Since the giving of alms generates treasure in heaven, it makes no sense to limit almsgiving to that which is of little value. The wise person will give generously. Earthly things are subject to theft and decay but building an investment in Heaven is a purse that does not wear out.
” If we all took only what was necessary to satisfy our own needs, giving the rest to those who lack, no one would be rich and no one would be poor” –St. Basil

We are often consumed and absorbed with thoughts of things to accomplish in life and in our daily routines but fail to think about how, where, and when the end will come. Being eternally vigilant checkmates our excesses and keeps us focused on God and Eternal life.

Many have fallen asleep because they have been entangled in the web of worldly concerns such that they have little or no time for their spiritual life. Being vigilant means carefully noticing things around us, paying attention to what matters most, making the right decision at the proper time, and keeping our minds focused on the right thing at the right time.
1 Peter 5:8 warns us to be vigilant. So how can we be vigilant?

When we are mindful of what offends God and our neighbor in our daily life and we try to avoid these in order to maintain our friendship with God and our neighbor.
When we devote time to our prayer life being conscious of the tricks and ploys of the devil to mislead and deceive souls. Our hearts and our minds, guide and direct everything we do. If we do not guard and protect ourselves from ungodly ideas, beliefs, and entertainments, they can cause our spiritual downfall.
Don’t accumulate more than you need. Be very generous to the poor. There is not security in material wealth.

Life is too short to be wasted. Live each day doing good as if it were your last. Death and judgment await us all. No one knows the hour, so simply do your best now. “When good people in any nation cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail. ” –Pearl A. Buck.So let’s stand up in prayer and action against the evils in our country to prevent evil leaders from taking control

”It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.”–Curran

People in crisis-oriented professions,such as firefighters and medical personnel, train regularly so that they can respond effectively when a crisis comes. Being prepared for Christ’s Coming has that same life-and-death urgency.

The last part of the Gospel reiterates the theme of vigilance and speaks to us about being faithful and prudent stewards. We are all stewards entrusted with responsibility. It is our responsibility to preserve life and treat others with justice and equity. Every responsibility is a call to service. The value of our service lies in our commitment and faithfulness to our duties, doing what is expected of us at all times. It means doing good whether you are being monitored or not; with honesty, sincerity and not being hypocritical. This is what it means to be an honest servant. Dishonest servants are those who feel that Heaven can wait until they have achieved their worldly ambitions. They are those who live recklessly, who don’t care about anyone except themselves and those who don’t work to serve except to gain. Do not work to please anyone but God, because He knows how and when to reward you.

We cannot claim to be ignorant of what God wants from us. So if we know the Will of God, (obeying His commandments) but choose to do otherwise, greater shall be our punishment on the last day than those who never heard the word of God but lived uprightly.

May your faith be as strong as Abraham’s to obey the will of God in all things and be eternally vigilant of your heavenly destination. No one knows the hour the Master shall return. This hour is the hour of death. Every good deed brings us closer to heaven. Every evil deed takes us further away from it. No earthly good, achievement, or wealth can stop us from dying. If you are conscious of eternity live with that in focus every passing hour.