Reading 1
Eph 3:2-12
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I have written briefly earlier.
When you read this
you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to human beings in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit,
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace
that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the Church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him.
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 3)
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Gospel
Lk 12:39-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Meditation: Ephesians 3:2-13
“… so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.” (Ephesians 3:10)
What a calling! We, the church, are called to reveal God’s wisdom to the spiritual forces that are arrayed against the gospel (Ephesians 6:12). Whether or not we ever “preach” the gospel to a single human being, whether or not we ever engage in any direct spiritual warfare, our lives are declaring Jesus’ victory over the devil. How we live, how we take hold of God’s grace at work in us, how we allow the Holy Spirit to move through us—it all manifests God’s infinitely imaginative plan of saving us and overcoming sin and death.
Do you believe that this calling, this privilege, includes you? It’s true. No one is too insignificant. At home, at work, or at school; in church, in prison, or in the hospital; in good times and bad, married or single, what we love and what we do tells the devil and his minions that they have been defeated. It tells them that love casts out fear and that mercy triumphs over condemnation every time.
Your life matters! No day is worthless. How you use your time, your short conversations with Jesus during the day—they all have spiritual repercussions. Your inner longings and prayers, unseen or unheard by other humans, echo in the spiritual realm and push back the darkness even farther. Unseen acts of self-denial, mercy, and charity manifest God’s love. Your private prayers, your worship at Mass, even your hurried declarations of love or need for God’s life—they all demonstrate his righteousness and wisdom.
So let your light shine in the darkness! Live simply, in a way that reveals God’s plan in creating you. Direct your thoughts and prayers, hopes and dreams toward the One who created you; who suffered, died, and rose from the dead to save you; who dwells so richly in you now. Let the Spirit fill you with more of his love and peace, joy and kindness. Then let these overflow to the people around you. Every time you do, the devil gets weaker and weaker, and God’s kingdom grows stronger and stronger.
“Father, thank you for including me in your plan. May my life be a bold declaration of your victory to all the powers of heaven!”
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