Posted by The WORD in other words (2023) by Fr Joseph Miras SVD – Canada
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – A
UD Haslem, the NBA player of the Miami Heat, keeps saying to his teammates, “Stay ready so that you don’t have to get ready.”
Being ready does not mean being passive, and just waiting for the opportune time to come. It does not mean doing nothing. Being ready is similar to an engine revving up and raring to go. It has nothing to do with the sudden burst of energy but has something to do with energy and verve ready to be unleashed.
The coming of God may project the image of a passive waiting on the part of those who are waiting/expecting, but actually it is not. It has an element of dynamism already at work and goes on unnoticed.
It is close to the story of Jesus regarding the growth of the kingdom. He says that the kingdom is like a seed growing unknown to the farmer who sleeps and wakes night and day. By itself, the earth produces the crop – first the stalk, then the head, then the grain that ripens within (Mk 4:27).
In like manner, we who are expecting the coming of God need to be actively engaged in the works of God. The seed of hope may eventually grow without our effort, but we also make it easier for the seed to grow if we lend a hand.
Cultivating that readiness may pose so many challenges. If a player’s number has never been called in many games, the player gets frustrated and may brood or sulk. He may even lose his confidence, and when that time comes, his mental makeup may not respond well.
Readiness, however, is the constancy and consistency of the desire to play (the game of faith). Like what the First Reading says regarding the search for wisdom, it is the product of those who desire or seek her. “She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her; one who watches for her at dawn will not be disappointed, for she will be found sitting at the gate. For setting your heart on her is the perfection of prudence, and whoever keeps vigil for her is quickly free from care.”
