Homily: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Wisdom 18:6-9 / Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 / Luke 12:32-48
10 August 2025
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
Online stores have certainly made purchasing easier, don’t we all agree? However, not all are trustworthy sellers. We reduce our chances of getting scammed by checking reviews and testimonials that the products are good and the sellers are legitimate. We only become regular customers when sellers are proven to keep their promise.
Today’s readings tell us stories of kept promises. These are stories of the Israelites being led out of slavery from Egypt, of Abraham being led to the Promised Land, and receiving the gift of a son in his old age. Although the odds were stacked against any of these promises coming true, they did, because it was God who made these promises and fulfilled them. For this, there was no reason for the people of God to ever doubt the Lord. And yet so many grew weary and impatient waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promises and chose to become unfaithful to Him.
The problem they experienced is what is highlighted in today’s liturgy — faith is not dependent on feelings. It is a decision. Often, when we get what we pray for, when everything is going well, when we feel inspired and hopeful, it is so easy to be aware how close God is to us. Parang ang gaan magdasal, ang sarap magpasalamat. (It seems like it is easy to pray; it feels good to be grateful.) But if we are honest, there are also days when we do not feel anything. We pray, but nothing happens. We go to Mass, but our mind keeps wandering. We try to do the right thing, but it feels like no one notices. No reward. No comfort. Just silence.
The challenge for us is to choose to trust God, even when we do not see the full picture. It is choosing to keep going, kahit di natin maintindihan kung bakit nangyayari ang mga bagay-bagay. (…even if we do not understand why things are happening.) Take Abraham in the Second Reading, God told him: “Leave everything — your home, your land, your comfort zone.” (Hebrews 11:8-12) However, God did not say where to go or what would happen next. And still, Abraham obeyed. Why? Because he trusted the One who made the promise.
Faith is walking even when the path is not clear. The Israelites learned to trust in God because He proved His faithfulness to them by delivering them out of slavery. Our First Reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 18:6-9) recounts how they blindly followed the instructions of God and how God followed through His promise during the First Passover. They were told to prepare: sacrifice a lamb, pack their things, and wait. They waited in silence and in the dark for God to move. That is not about feelings. That is pure trust. That is faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Do not be afraid, little flock… be ready.” (Luke 12:32, 35) He does not give a fixed timeline nor does He give a specific sign to lookout for. He is not saying, “Live in anticipation of an earth-shattering moment that will fill you with excitement.” He is saying, “Just live. Go on with your life, but live always prepared. Stay faithful.” Even when things feel quiet; even when life feels ordinary; even when nothing dramatic is happening, God is present, watching and waiting for the appointed time for Him to move.
I know of someone who turned her back on the corporate world and devoted her time and talent to help the Church. She knows it is a noble cause and that good will come of her efforts but she is often discouraged by the poorly constructed systems that she must work with — other volunteers coast along and the leader tends to claim all the credit of accomplishments for himself. Despite her frustrations, she stays on because she believes God is still in the process of revealing why He brought her to that place. Yes, faith is choosing to believe even when we do not feel it, choosing to serve even when no one says “thank you”, and choosing to love even when it is hard. That is real faith. That is spiritual maturity. We do not have to feel aligned with God all the time. We just have to keep showing up. Keep choosing God.
If lately we feel like our faith is weak, that is okay. We are not alone. Even the saints went through long periods of spiritual dryness — doubting and wondering if God was near. Yet, they did not give up. They just kept choosing God, one day at a time. So can we. Faith is not a mood. It is a choice — a decision we make — again and again — in love.
Sunday Gospel Reflections 