The universal longing for a safe and permanent homeland is one that finds an echo in all of our readings today. The letter to the Hebrews speaks of the faith of Abraham and Sarah as they leave their old home and place their trust in God’s promises of a new homeland. The book of Wisdom recalls the night of the first Passover, when the oppressed people of Israel were liberated by God from slavery in a foreign land so that they could make their long journey to their homeland. The people need courage for their journey and they stand in solidarity with each other… In the Gospel Jesus tells His “little flock” not to be afraid – the Father has already given them the kingdom. They have a homeland awaiting them. But there is a note of caution struck: the people have to be ready, prepared, actively about their master’s business, living faithfully according to His commands, if they are to be ready to greet the master when He returns.
That longing for a homeland lies deep within each of us. Jesus promises that the Father has prepared the kingdom for us. But He tells us to be prepared. How do we do that? Jesus warns us that we have been entrusted by God with tasks and responsibilities – and that if in the meantime we start to act selfishly, greedily or violently, then we will be denied entry to the promised land. The first reading speaks of the people sharing the dangers together. It is the solidarity of knowing that we have one common Father – that we feed those who are hungry, clothe those who are naked, visit those who are sick and welcome those who are strangers, then we are storing treasure for ourselves in heaven and are on the right path to the kingdom. Are we journeying on the way to the kingdom, or will we be denied entry? To answer that, we can simply look at our lives to see if we are traveling alone or in genuine fellowship with others, living for ourselves or leading a life of service, building up fences or creating community. Such solidarity is all the preparation we need to make for our homecoming.