During the Mass we offer intercessions for specific prayers of the faithful. We pray for those who have passed away or for our sick, or other special intentions our parishioners have requested. We pray for rain or a respite from the heat of the summer.
In one of the prayers of the Mass we ask the Father,
“Remember also those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy, welcome them into the light of your face.”
That is hope. That is faith.
In the second reading from Hebrews, we hear,
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
We can’t see what we hope for. If it were visible and obvious, it wouldn’t be faith.
None of us are going to see God before our bodies die. Yet our faith teaches us to act and behave as if we could already see our destiny in Heaven. We will see Him in the Kingdom. In the prayer taught us by Jesus, we pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Because of our Faith we have Hope.
Our fathers in Faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all died. We hear,
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
They followed God’s call and passed on the Hope for their children and future generations. Those who believed in God were surrounded on all sides by pagans and superstitions and magicians. But our Fathers in Faith did not give up their belief in God or take on the pagan religions. They remained faithful.
Moses received the Ten Commandments several centuries later. The First Commandment was,
You shall not have other gods beside me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or serve them.
Our God calls us to reject all other Gods to follow Him. He promises to be with us always because He loves us. We follow Him in Faith, in the Hope of living with Him forever.
Again,
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
That is how we are to live, in Faith.
What are we waiting and hoping for?
Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Was that just something for a time after our bodily death? Is that what we are hoping for? No, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” It is here. It is the Church.
Our Church exists on this side of death, and on the other side of death. The faithful follow the Church to eternal life on the other side. Remember Jesus told Simon Peter and the Apostles,
He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick].
The Kingdom of God is at hand. When he sent the disciples out for ministry, two by two, he instructed them,
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
Jesus was establishing the Church, the Kingdom of God on earth. Whether someone likes it or not, the Kingdom of God is here, in the Church.
We hear Jesus saying to Simon,
You are Kephas, Kepa, Rock, Peter. And upon this rock I will buid my Church.
And he gave the Church authority over sin.
In today’s Gospel,
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Jesus was giving them the Kingdom, the Church and putting Simon Peter in charge. The Church has a structure and leadership in Peter and the Popes and Bishops. This is the Kingdom Jesus was giving them, complete with all the sacraments.
Jesus gives them a parable about being responsible stewards.
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
Jesus was talking about Peter being the faithful and prudent steward of the sacraments of the Church, the food to be distributed.
Imagine the Kingdom of God as a great city, whose city limits extend on this side of death, and on the other side. It is one great city. This city is our Church. Jesus lives in the Church. Now listen again to the Gospel instruction to us and how we are to treat our Church,
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
We live our Faith in the Church. We place our Hope in the Church. We hope to live forever in the Kingdom. We pray for our dearly departed through the Church. Through the Church we hope and pray for the good of all. We teach this faith to our children. We live our faith in the world.