LUKE 12:32-48
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I WORKED FOR
THE FOREST SERVICE IN THE SUMMER. I WAS A “FIRE PREVENTION
TECHNICIAN” IN GOVERNMENTESE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER WE
ATTENDED A ONE-WEEK COURSE IN FIRE PREVENTION AND PUTTING FIRES OUT –
WITHOUT WATER, WHICH WAS TRICKY. THEN WE WERE STATIONED WITH A
RANGER TO ASSIST IN COVERING A CERTAIN AREA OF THE NATIONAL FOREST.
I WAS INVOLVED IN BIG FIRES AND SMALL ONES, BUT THE MOST COMMON WERE
LITTLE FIRES STARTED BY A BOLT OF LIGHTNING – THEY WERE OFF THE
BEATEN PATH AND DEEP IN THE WOODS. WE WOULD GET AS NEAR AS WE COULD
WITH THE TRUCK, THEN SHOULDER OUR BACK PACKS AND THESE THINGS THAT
LOOKED LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A HOE AND AN AX – THEY CALLED THEM
“PULASKI'S” – AND USING OUR COMPASSES AND MAPS, WE WOULD TRY TO
LOCATE THE FIRE. ONCE WE FOUND IT, WE WOULD WORK FRANTICALLY,
DIGGING A TRENCH AROUND THE FIRE, THROWING DIRT INTO THE FLAMES, AND
CUTTING DOWN BRANCHES THAT MIGHT BE A WAY FOR THE FIRE TO GET PAST
OUR CONTAINMENT BARRIER. EVENTUALLY THE FIRE WOULD BE REDUCED TO
SOME SMOULDERING EMBERS, AND THOSE WOULD BE COVERED BY DIRT AS WELL.
AND THEN, WE WOULD DRAW STRAWS – BECAUSE ONE OF US HAD TO STAY WITH
THE FIRE FOR 24 HOURS. THOSE WERE THE RULES.
BEING ALONE IN THE WOODS IS NO PICNIC,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE IMAGINATION, AND EVERY SOUND YOU
HEAR COULD BE A WOLF OR A BEAR. YOU WANT TO GET CLOSER TO THE
SMOULDERING ASHES BECAUSE THEY ARE WARM; BUT YOU WANT TO SIT WITH
YOUR BACK TO A TREE OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID. AND THE
NIGHT TAKES FOREVER TO PASS. YOU DON'T DARE TRY TO FIND YOUR WAY
BACK TO THE ROAD, BECAUSE YOU WOULD BECOME HORRIBLY LOST. FINALLY
THE NEXT MORNING DAWNS AND RIGHT ON TIME, YOUR GANG TURNS UP TO
INSPECT THE FIRE SITE ONE LAST TIME AND YOU ALL GO BACK TO
CIVILIZATION.
BEING A CHRISTIAN IS A LITTLE LIKE
THAT. WE FEEL PRETTY ALONE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT. SURE, WE GO TO
CHURCH AND WE SEE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE “CHRISTIANS” BUT WE KNOW
SOME OF THEM ARE JUST THERE FOR THE SHOW. WE SEE SOME WHO WE SUSPECT
AREN'T VERY CHRISTIAN IN REAL LIFE, AND OTHERS WHO PUT US TO SHAME
WITH THEIR DEVOTION. SOME OF OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE
DEVOTED TO THIS OR THAT, AND MAYBE I AM NOT. SO EVEN BEING IN CHURCH
IT CAN BE A LITTLE LONELY. AND EVERY DAY YOU AND I HAVE TO GET UP IN
THE MORNING AND MAKE A RESOLUTION: TODAY I WILL TRY TO LIVE MY LIFE
AS A CHRISTIAN. BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY TO FORGET YOUR PRAYERS OR PUT
OFF CONFESSION OR VEG OUT IN FRONT OF THE TV. AND IT'S SO EASY TO
FORGET TO SHOW SIGNS OF LOVE TO THOSE AROUND US.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL JESUS IS SPEAKING TO
EACH OF US, HERE AND NOW. FIRST HE TELLS US WHAT IS IN STORE FOR US
– THE FATHER WILL BE PLEASED TO GIVE US HIS KINGDOM, SO LAY UP
TREASURES IN HEAVEN. THE FATHER WILL WAIT ON US, HAND AND FOOT, WHEN
HE RETURNS; SO DO NOT FEAR. THEN HE TELLS US NOT TO GIVE UP. HE'S
GIVEN US WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO LIVE IN THIS DESERT WAITING
FOR THE FATHER. HE'S TOLD US TO PERSEVERE, AND NOT BE DISTRACTED;
BECAUSE THE FATHER WILL COME FOR US, THAT IS CERTAIN; AND WE DON'T
KNOW WHEN, THAT IS CERTAIN AS WELL.
SAINT FRANCIS WAS ONCE OUT WORKING IN
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. ONE OF HIS BROTHER FRIARS ASKED HIM, “WHAT
WOULD YOU DO IF YOU LEARNED THAT THE WORLD WAS GOING TO END IN
FIFTEEN MINUTES?” FRANCIS CONTINUED TO HOE THE GARDEN, AND
REPLIED, “I WOULD FINISH WHAT I AM DOING.” THE IDEA IS NOT TO
WORRY ABOUT BEING PREPARED FOR THE COMING OF OUR MASTER. THE IDEA IS
TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
HOW DO WE BUILD UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN?
WE MIGHT LOOK AT THE BLESSED MOTHER. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW A THING
ABOUT HER, EXCEPT THAT SHE CONSENTED TO BE THE MOTHER OF THE MESSIAH;
SHE WAS THE WIFE OF A SKILLED CRAFTSMAN – A CARPENTER; AND SHE
PREVAILED UPON HER SON TO HELP OUT AT A WEDDING PARTY. THERE ARE
OTHER SCENES – SHE LOOKED FOR HIM WHEN HE WAS LOST; AND SHE AND HIS
OTHER RELATIVES WORRIED ABOUT HIM BECAUSE HE HAD STEPPED OUT OF HIS
QUIET LIFE IN NAZARETH AT THE AGE OF 30 AND WAS WANDERING UP AND DOWN
PALESTINE PREACHING AND WORKING MIRACLES. MARY WAS PRETTY ORDINARY.
SHE MADE CLOTHING, SHE PROBABLY WOVE CLOTH; SHE PREPARED FOOD, SHE
SWEPT THE FLOORS. SHE DID WHATEVER SHE COULD TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE
FAMILY INCOME; SHE PROBABLY TOOK CARE OF HER AGING MOTHER AND FATHER,
AND JOSEPH, TOO, WHEN HE BECAME ILL AND FINALLY DIED. HER LIFE
DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH AFTER THAT – YOU CAN BET THAT WHEN JOHN TOOK HER
INTO HIS HOME, SHE DID NOT SIT IDLE, BUT CONTINUED TO DO WHAT SHE
ALWAYS DID. SHE DID EVERYTHING WELL; SHE TURNED HER FULL ATTENTION
TO THE TASK AT HAND; SHE PRAYED, SHE WORKED, SHE HELPED OTHERS, SHE
LAUGHED AND CRIED, SLEPT AND WOKE UP. AT THE END OF THE DAY SHE DID
NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT GREAT THINGS SHE MIGHT HAVE DONE. SHE DID NOT,
AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, PARTICIPATE IN SPREADING THE GOSPEL, AS DID
THE APOSTLES AND SOME OF THE OTHER COMPANIONS OF JESUS, LIKE MARY
MAGDALENE.
AND THAT, PERHAPS IS THE BEDROCK OF
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE – TO BE ABLE TO SAY AT ANY TIME, IF THE WORLD
COMES TO AN END IN THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES, I'M RIGHT WHERE I SHOULD
BE, DOING WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING.
BUILDING UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN CONSISTS
OF ALL THOSE ORDINARY THINGS MOST OF US DO MOST OF THE TIME –
CONSCIOUS, OF COURSE, OF THE FACT THAT AS CHRISTIANS, JESUS IS
WORKING IN US, AND TRANSFORMING THESE HUMBLE ACTS INTO THINGS OF
INFINITE CONSEQUENCE.
THE HOLY EUCHARIST REMINDS US OF THIS
EVERY SUNDAY. WE OFFER BREAD AND WINE, COMMON, ORDINARY THINGS THAT
BY THEMSELVES DON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH AT ALL. BUT THROUGH OUR PRIEST
GOD TAKES THESE GIFTS AND TRANSFORMS THEM INTO HIS ONLY SON, JESUS,
WHO IS GOD AND MAN, AND FEEDS US WITH HIS BODY AND BLOOD. CHRISTIANS
BY VIRTUE OF BEING CHRISTIANS, CAN TRANSFORM ANYTHING HUMAN BEINGS
CAN DO INTO TREASURE IN HEAVEN – IT REQUIRES ONLY THAT WE ARE WHERE
WE ARE, DOING WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, EACH MOMENT OF OUR
LIVES. AND THEN WE HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR, AND EVERY EXPECTATION OF
RECEIVING THE KINGDOM THAT OUR FATHER IS PLEASED TO GIVE US.
