Reading 1
1 Thes 3:7-13
We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters,
in our every distress and affliction, through your faith.
For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you,
for all the joy we feel on your account before our God?
Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person
and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith.
Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus
direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 90:3-5a, 12-13, 14 and 17R. (14)
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Gospel
Mt 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant,
whom the master has put in charge of his household
to distribute to them their food at the proper time"
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.
Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,'
and begins to beat his fellow servants,
and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant's master will come on an unexpected day
and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
Meditation: Matthew 24:42-51
You do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)
No wonder Jesus warns us to stay awake! The end could come at any time, and he wants all of us to be ready to greet him when he does come back. This is not just some vague warning. It’s a practical approach to life that we all should adopt.
So stay awake! Remember who you are: a child of God, close to his heart. You are loved, precious, and unique, and he delights in you. You are not just the subject of a distant God. You are his own child, and he cares about you! He rejoices when you do, and he wants to comfort you when you’ve been hurt. Spend some time, daily, alone with the One who is always on your side. “Father, awaken in me the truth that I am your child so that I can live in your love today.”
Stay awake! God has plans for your life, plans for your good, plans to give you a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants to involve you deeply in his plans, even when it looks like the same old job, the same old school routine, or the same old schedule of housework. Ask him! He loves to share his intentions with you. “Father, what are your plans for me today? How do you want to draw me to your side today? How do you want me to build your kingdom today?”
Stay awake! Satan would like nothing better than to catch you asleep. Be wary of his lies, especially when he tries to tell you that you are worthless, unloved, or all alone. Be alert, for the devil wants to bind you with cords of anger, bitterness, and grudges. Don’t fall for it! Forgive. Ask forgiveness. Strife, anxiety, and fear are his territory. Run to your Father when you find yourself there. “Father, open my eyes and ears to perceive and flee the works of the devil.”
Stay awake! God has poured out his love in your heart, a love that can flow out to others. When challenges come, don’t panic. Ask the Father to help you see what he sees, and to love as he does.
“Father, fill my heart with more of your love. Help me to move in your peace and patience today, alert to what you want to do.”
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