Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson
This weekend’s Scriptures led me to do some research about a modern health problem we live with in present day America. Call it “heart disease.” The results I found online were gruesome, to say the least.
First, heart disease is a major health concern in our beloved country, with about 1 in 5 deaths attributed to it. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects nearly half of American adults.
Overall, 77.5% of men and 75.4% of women ages 60 to 79 have some form of CVD as found in a 2021 report. Approximately 6.7 million Americans over 20 years of age have heart failure, and that number is expected to rise to 8.7 million by the year 2030.
Enough with the numbers. Certainly, they indicate that we have a heart problem in our land. This blood pump that we nickname a “ticker,” is a crucial organ and no amount of Valentine wistfulness will lessen the threats to it.
May I suggest, as a preacher and not a cardiologist, that we Catholic Christian believers could have a similar problem with our spiritual hearts? Unfortunately, with our desire as Catholics to “fit in” with the prevalent culture, we’ve absorbed its values all too well, to the point that we don’t look much different from everybody else. The ultimate danger is that we could forget our real destination in life and not be ready for it. St. Luke, who composed today’s Gospel with its account of a parable Jesus talked about readiness, was also a doctor. Of course, not a cardiologist. No such b specialization existed in his time.
Still, as an early Christian believer, asked to diagnose one of our main problems thinking and acting like Christ, I believe that Luke would certainly be able to suggest a cure. It would begin with our owning up to whatever it is that is our real heart’s desire. He would remind us of one of Our Lord’s most perceptive observations: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.” That reminder would set us up for a Christian cure for all the consumerism and lack of genuine detachment and authentic chastity all around us. So, ask yourself: “What do I treasure most in my life? Does it conflict with my friendship with Christ? Or would He smile at my wise choice?
Some people’s “treasure” winds up being funny. Here’s an example from an ad placed in a Nebraska newspaper: Farmer with 160 irrigated acres seeks marriage-minded woman with tractor. When replying, please show photograph of tractor.”
God love you and give you His peace.
Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary
Reading I: Wisdom 18:6-9
“That night” is the Passover, the night of Israel’s release from slavery in Egypt. It had been foretold to Abraham and Jacob years beforehand. The Lord’s prior covenants with the Patriarchs had prepared for it. The miracles worked throughout showed God’s wrath and His redemption.
Reading II: Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19, or 11: 1-2, 8-12.
Faith is here defined as assurance, and not opinion. It adheres to things not seen, and not science. Faith is directed toward things hoped for, so it is not wishful thinking.
The Gospel: Luke 12: 32-48, or 12: 35-40
Jesus’ parable is all about leadership and responsibility. The Apostles are compared to domestic servants, who have tasks that must be completed before Christ’s sudden return at an unknown time.