SATURDAY HOMILY, 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

SATURDAY HOMILY, 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

THEME: BE VIGILANT.

BY: FR. KARABARI PAUL

Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth….”

Today is the last day of the liturgical year; tomorrow being the first Sunday of Advent. And the cycle of the liturgical year begins again. In the Gospel of today (Luke 21:34-36), Jesus reminds us of the passing aspect of life. In this way, He urges us not to be caught unaware and to pay attention to fulfilling our desires for good.

Amid the worries of daily life, ‘eternal truths’ can seem irrelevant or unreal. But Jesus reminds us here not to be weighed down and completely preoccupied by the immediate, concrete, here-and-now part of reality.

Sleep may be good for the body, but sleep is horrible for the soul. “Besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rom 13:11). “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (1 Thess 5:6). “Take heed yourselves.” Notice the personal nature of this watching; no one else can watch for you, but you watch for yourself.

Jesus is concerned that our hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life. The Greek term for dissipation refers to a hangover to the distressing after effects of intoxication. Drunkenness is also mentioned. The idea seems to be that we need a clear head to watch for Jesus; we need to be alert. Jesus also says he doesn’t want us weighed down with the cares of this world; how often do we get involved in the things of this world and forget that Jesus is coming altogether?

If we keep a clear head and don’t get bogged down with the cares of this life, that day will not overtake us unexpectedly. No, we will never know when that day is coming. We must be vigilant at all times. We need to be ready for when Jesus comes. Jesus urges His disciples to get rid of the alcohol and the other cares of this life that prevent watching for Jesus. What in your life prevents you from watching for Jesus? Some self-examination is called for here. If we don’t take a close look at ourselves, how will we ever know what needs to be changed? “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor. 13:5)The tragedy is that many of us have gone drunk even as against the warning of Jesus Christ. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning.

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