24 October, 2012
Wednesday of Week 29; St. Anthony Mary Claret
FIRST READING
Ephesians 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.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
R. (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.
ALLELUIA
Matthew 24:42a, 44
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Luke 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.”
REFLECTIONS:
What lesson can a thief in the night teach us about the kingdom of God? Jesus loved to tell stories, many which ended with a dramatic and unexpected change of circumstances. Can you imagine a thief calling ahead to tell his victim when he would strike? The intruder strikes when he is least expected and under the cover of darkness and secrecy. Should we be surprised to see a thief making off with a great treasure left unguarded?
What does this say about the treasure which God has entrusted to you and me? When God offers us his kingdom he gives us a priceless treasure (see the parable of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:44-46). What is this treasure of immeasurable value? The Lord Jesus himself is our treasure (Job 22:22-23) and the kingdom he offers us is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The Lord offers us a relationship with God the Father as his sons and daughters and the promise of eternal life as well. This treasure is of far greater value that any earthly treasure because nothing can diminish its insurpassable worth or destroy it. But it's possible to lose this great treasure if we do not guard it with our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We can lose heaven and eternal friendship with God if we allow Satan – the deceiver and father of lies – to rob us of our faith and make us deny God's word of truth! The Lord Jesus fortunately does not leave us on our own – he stands watch with us to guide, direct, and keep us from the snares of the evil one. Do you keep vigilant watch over the treasure which God has entrusted to you?
Jesus ends his teaching on watchfulness and vigilance with another parable about a master and his servants (similr to the parable in Matthew 24:.45-49). The storyline is similar. There is an element of surprise – the master suddenly returns home unexpectedly, probably from a long journey. He rewards the dutiful servant for his faithfulness to his master. He has performed his service with diligence and has done all that the master required of him. The master punishes the other servant who behaved wickedly. This servant was not only irresponsible – he was frequently absent from work and spent his master's money by throwing endless parties with his friends. The wicked servant also abused his fellow workers with physical force and violence – probably to make them do the work he was supposed to do for his master. The master not only strips him of his job and a secure place to live, but removes him from the joy and fellowship of the people he lived and worked with. The wicked servant is cast into a prison of like-minded rebels, trouble-makers, thieves, and murderers. Can you imagine a place of endless quarreling, strife, hatred, envy, jealousy, and constant abuse and fighting? Should we be surprised to see the master acting with such swift judgment? After all the master is only giving back to the wicked servant what he has given to others through his abusive and irresponsible behavior. The master rewards the faithful servant with promotion, honor, and friendship, and he punishes the unfaithful servant – who stole from his master and used his position to abuse others – by removing him from his position of trust. The Lord has entrusted each one of us with his gifts and grace – the grace to love God with faithfulness, trust, and obedience – and the grace to love our neighbor as ourself. Do you want to be faithful and reliable as the Lord is faithful and trustworthy?
The Lord loves faithfulness and richly rewards those who are faithful to him. What is faithfulness? It's keeping one's word, promise, and commitments no matter how tough or difficult it gets. Faithfulness is a key character trait of God and one that he expects of us. Fortunately God gives the grace and strength to remain faithful. He also rewards faithfulness. The joy and privilege of being a son or daughter of God carries with it an awesome responsibility. The Lord expects us to make good use of the gifts and graces he gives to us. The more he gives, the more he requires. The temptation while the Master is away is to put off for tomorrow what we know the Master expects us to do today. How can we grow in faithfulness? God's grace shows us the way. When we are faithful in the little tasks and promises we make, we learn to be faithful in the bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks entrusted to us.
The Lord Jesus calls us to be vigilant in watching for his return and to be ready to meet him when he calls us to himself. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin to embrace God's way of love, justice, and holiness. The Lord's warning of judgment causes dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly wait for his return in glory. God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life.
“Lord Jesus, you have captured my heart and it is yours. Take it that I may have you alone as my treasure and joy. Make me strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and generous in love that I may seek to please you in all things and bring you glory.”
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