If we grew up believing that our only task in life is to get our souls into heaven, we
won't appreciate the depth of insight in Sunday's three readings.
Author and naturalist Sue Halpern probably understands these passages better then we.
In her recent book, Four Wings and a Prayer, she chronicles the migration of monarch
butterflies from the northeast United States to their winter refuge in Mexico, then
follows them as they trek back to the U.S. in the spring.
She often reminds her readers that it takes at least seven generations to complete the
entire cycle. No one butterfly lives more than a few months; most survive only a month or
less. Unlike migratory birds, each monarch experiences just a small part of its journey.
But without the contributions of each, there would be no migration. The species would die
out.
Pilgrimage
Our sacred authors also presume each generation of our faith-species has already done
or will do something to help our community's ongoing faith-migration. The authors of
Wisdom and the Letter to the Hebrews reflect on what our ancestors unselfishly have done
to help us reach this point in our journey.
The former (Wis 18: 6-9) reminds his community, By faith,...your people (during the
Exodus) awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their fore. He's
convinced that those who are reading his words in Israel are in the Promised Land only
because of the steps of faith which their ancestors in Egypt dared to take centuries
before.
In the same way, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11: 1-2, 8-19) awakens
his community to the debt they owe those who acted by faith long before they came on the
scene. Faith, he states, is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things
not seen.
To prove his point, he provides us with some classic scriptural examples. Though those
who choose our liturgical readings have omitted all his references except Abraham and
Sarah, he actually goes on for almost 40 verses narrating things various people
accomplished by faith, things which prepared the way for our own lives of faith.
He pointedly reminds us, All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been
promised but saw it and greeted it from afar. We believe the way we do today only because
people courageously acted on their beliefs long before we existed.
More to do
The temptation is to think were at the end of this long faith journey, that everyone
who traveled it before simply prepared the way for us who today enjoy the last stage of
faith.
The historical Jesus never gave such a message to His followers. On the contrary, the
Gospel (Lk 12: 32-48) emphasizes that we're always waiting, always anticipating what's
coming next. Luke's Jesus assures us that the father is pleased to give you the kingdom,
but He presumes there's a lot for us to do before that kingdom becomes a reality in all
our lives. Besides advising us to sell your belongings and give alms, He also reminds us
that we're to expect His glorious, final arrival at any time. Only by living with such
anticipation will we be able to maintain and pass on the kind of faith which future
generations need.
Twenty centuries later, we're still waiting, still believing. Like the monarch
butterfly, each generation plays an essential role in the community's journey. Jesus'
words always echo in our ears: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more. Each of us is entrusted
with just a small part of humanity's overall journey of faith. But unless we faithfully
live that part, the whole journey won't happen exactly as God planned it.
(08-09-01)