In the middle of Ordinary Time we discover a theme normally associated with the end of the liturgical year and the season of Advent – vigilance in anticipation of the return of the master. This vigilance demands that we live lives of faith. We do not know when God will open the door of our existence and call us into a deeper realisation of the sacred dimension of life itself. Vigilance is a characteristic of a Christian at all times, for all times. We must be ever vigilant.

While we live in the expectation of the coming of God in the future, we also live now in the presence of God. This means that God is present with us now, as a companion in our lives. It also means that this presence is the context within which our lives unfold. However, until all things are brought to fulfilment, we live in this presence by faith. Faith and hope are intimately joined. As believers we are called to trust in the promises of God, even when what is promised seems impossible.

We are assured that we will be blessed, but we can never be sure of the exact nature of the blessing. In faith, we put our trust in God and then carry out our responsibilities. In faith we wait for the Lord, who is our help and our shield, not really knowing under what guise he will come to us. Faith is both the cost of living as a disciple and the reward.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 10th August 2025