Luke 12:39-48

Ephesians 3:2-12

Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things. You know when and how I will be tempted, how I will fail, and how I will be victorious. Guide me along the right path so that I may be entrusted with more. I am your servant and will strive to care for those you have entrusted to me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Be Vigilant: Jesus teaches his disciples to be ready for our encounter with him at the moment of our death and to be ready for his second glorious coming at the end of time. Yesterday, we listened to Jesus compare his disciples to servants waiting for the master’s return from a marriage feast. The servants who were vigilant and welcomed the master were seated at the table and served by the master when he returned. When Jesus knocks at the door, we must open the door to him. Just like the householder does not know when a thief may strike, we do not know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return.

2. Our Royal Tasks: Cyril of Alexandria interprets the three watches of the night as three stages in our lives: childhood, adulthood, and old age. “The first of these, in which we are still children, is not called to account by God but is deemed worthy of pardon, because of the innocence as yet of the mind and the weakness of the understanding. The second and the third – the periods of adulthood and old age – owe obedience and piety of life to God, according to his good pleasure. Whoever is found watching and well-belted, whether by change he is still young or has arrived at old age, shall be blessed. For he will be counted worthy of attaining to Christ’s promise” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 92). Today, Jesus compares the apostles to domestic servants who are charged with various duties in the household of God’s kingdom. The royal tasks entrusted to them must be fulfilled diligently before Christ’s sudden return (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 133). Unfaithful stewards neglect their duties and will be punished. To whom much is given, much will be required. In short, watchfulness, diligence, service, and fidelity lead to the joy of heaven; carelessness, laziness, greed, and infidelity lead to the misery of hell.

3. The Ministry of Paul: Paul exemplifies the characteristics of a good and faithful servant. He was watchful and allowed himself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. He was diligent, even working to sustain himself and not burden the Christian communities with whom he stayed. He served tirelessly and saw his life as being for the service of the Gospel. In the First Reading, he called his ministry “stewardship” since it has been entrusted to him by God and given to him for the benefit of the people he served. Paul was faithful, faithful to Christ and to the mission he had been given. Not only was Paul a steward of the mysteries of God, but he was also a minister and servant (diakonos) of God. Paul served the Gentile Christians by communicating to them the mysteries of salvation, mysteries revealed to the Apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit. This plan of salvation includes the Gentiles, who, in Jesus Christ and through the Gospel, have been made coheirs of the promises made to Israel and members of the Body of Christ. Their inheritance and ours is eternal life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the supreme example of a Servant. You did the will of your Father perfectly. It was your sustenance. Help me to imitate you and be attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit you have poured out within me.

Living the Word of God: Who are the servants that God has put me in charge of to care for? What are their names? What does each one of them most need from me?