#TomorrowIsSunday (EN+ES) | Does God wait on us?

Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik / 06.08.2022

Still life with fruit and bread nationalmuseum, Public Domain

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Gospel of Luke 12:35-40

EN: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm

You can download the commentary on the Gospel and beautiful photos:

https://www.academia.edu/84196998/Does_God_wait_on_us?source=swp_share

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XIX Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

Domingo, 7 de agosto de 2022

Evangelio de San Lucas 12:35-40

ES: https://bible.usccb.org/es/bible/lecturas/080722.cfm

1. The Lord as a servant

God’s love is boundless. In fact, God is ready to wait on us. Today’s verses of the Gospel speak about it. This is also borne out by so many other examples from everyday life.

2. Key words

Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

Girded loins are symbolic of one’s readiness to set out on a journey. One has on them what they need the most. Lit lamps stress even more the readiness to leave, even during the night. Holding a lit lantern means being vigilant, and you do not play with fire.

Jesus emphasises that blessed will be those who are ready for his arrival when he comes and knocks on the door. They will be blessed and fortunate because they will meet God – Jesus. What’s more, God-Jesus Christ himself will wait on them, as he announced that he would “gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.” In many cultures, including in the present Holy Land, it is the task of the host to care for and serve the guests. The host not only shares his goods with the guests, but also becomes like a waiter to them.

How does Jesus invite us for supper? This is magnificently expressed by the painting titled Jesus. The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, in Oxford. It shows Jesus knocking on a door at night. This door, however, does not have a handle on the outside; the latch is only on the inside. It is up to each of us to open the door to Jesus. If we do it, then what is written under the painting will happen – the caption is a quote from Revelation: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.”

3. Today

Jesus knocks at the door of each and every one of us. He invites us to Mass and to a moment of adoration. He wants us to stay with him and to stay awake, even if for a short time. His love envelops us in our daily life, and when our heart is alert, we know how to notice it. Let us remember, however, that the latch is on our side of the door. It is up to us to respond to Jesus’ invitation.

1. El Señor que sirve

El amor de Dios por nosotros es tan grande que Dios se convierte en camarero del hombre. El Evangelio de hoy habla de ello. Muchos ejemplos de la vida real también lo atestiguan.

2. Palabras clave

«Estén listos, con la túnica puesta y las lámparas encendidas. Sean semejantes a los criados que están esperando a que su señor regrese de la boda, para abrirle en cuanto llegue y toque. Dichosos aquellos a quienes su señor, al llegar, encuentre en vela. Yo les aseguro que se recogerá la túnica, los hará sentar a la mesa y él mismo les servirá.»
La túnica puesta es un símbolo de la disposición a salir de casa y viajar. El hombre lleva consigo lo más preciado. Las lámparas encendidas subrayan aún más la disposición a salir, incluso de noche. Significan la vigilancia con una antorcha encendida en la mano, y no se juega con el fuego.

Jesús subraya que son felices los que están preparados para su venida cuando él viene y llama. Felices porque se encontrarán con Dios, con Jesús. Es más, el propio Dios-Jesucristo les servirá, ya que anunció que «se recogerá la túnica, los hará sentar a la mesa y él mismo les servirá». En muchas culturas, incluso en el entorno de la actual Tierra Santa, la tarea del anfitrión es cuidar y servir a los invitados. El anfitrión no sólo comparte sus bienes con el invitado, sino que se convierte en un camarero para él.

¿Cómo te invita Jesús a una cena festiva? Esto está bellamente expresado en el cuadro “La luz del mundo” de William Holman Hunt, que se encuentra en Oxford. En este cuadro se ve a Jesús llamando a una puerta de noche. Esta puerta, sin embargo, no tiene picaporte exterior, sólo el interior. Depende de cada uno de nosotros abrir la puerta a Jesús. Si lo abrimos, ocurrirá lo que está escrito bajo la imagen, que es una cita del Libro del Apocalipsis: “He aquí que estoy a la puerta y llamo. Si alguien oye mi voz y abre la puerta, vendré a él, cenaré con él y él conmigo”.

3. Hoy

Jesús llama a la puerta de cada uno de nosotros. Nos invita a la misa y a un momento de adoración, a estar con él, a velar. Incluso por un momento. Su amor nos rodea en nuestra vida diaria. Cuando nuestro corazón está en alerta, sabemos cómo percibirlo. Pero recordemos que el picaporte está en nuestro lado de la puerta. Depende de nosotros responder a la invitación de Jesús.

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