Daily Reflection – 10/23/19
Sacred Scripture
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 him 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.”( Luke 12:39-48)
Reflection
Jesus’ instruction is very simple: he tells his disciples that they need to “be prepared.” However, the event they need to be prepared for is the hour when the “Son of Man” will come! Jesus tells them that He will come at a time when they do not expect him! Thus, they need to be alert and attentive. They need to have open minds and open hearts.
Jesus also is telling us to “be prepared” today! We don’t know how or when Jesus will come but He will come to us this day!
Jesus is asking us to live our lives with freedom – with the freedom that comes from knowing who we are.
That freely lived identity is formed and tested in our everyday lives. It is formed by the defining relationships in our lives and by the choices we make, which shape us into the persons we become. This faithful freedom to be who we are called to be is tested by all the attractions of the world, which pull us in other directions. Usually it is greed or lust – something just looks so attractive that we feel drawn to want it or to at least try it. Sometimes it is fear – anxiety, and worries about the “what ifs,” steal our ability to be courageous and steadfast.
In all of these defining moments of our lives, Jesus is there coming to meet us with the offer of grace, with the gift of freedom, with the loving encounter that calls us to be our most loving and self-sacrificing selves. He simply asks us to be ready to meet him at the time he comes to us today.
In the final analysis, Christ as God’s gift to us flows from the loving provision of the Father and our role is to be sensible, faithful stewards. God gave His all to us, even the gift of Himself. Perhaps we need to pause and ask what have we done to God’s gift to us? What He has given to us for free, have we shared with God’s people or have we kept it within the enclosures of our selfish hearts? Have we done our share of opening up to the Spirit and allow His work in us so that our character may be formed according to Christ?
At the end of our life, the only thing that will matter will be what we did for God and what we did for others; that is, what we did with the blessings and love we received.
Prayer of The Day
Lord, open our hearts today and every day to receive your gifts of freedom and to encounter you in the many people you place in our lives, in the many choices which can bring us closer to you. Free us to love more freely to say “yes” more completely, to think of the needs of others first and to know what is the right choice. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Daily Note
Let us open our hearts to the mighty action of the Spirit as accountability from a Christian perspective at the present time is not meant for punishment, but for growth in God’s grace. How well have we cared for God’s people within our community? How well have we shared Christ with others? How well have we all grown in His grace? Our goal is to become more like the One to whom we ultimately are to give our account. Let us resolve to be faithful to our calling as His disciples and servants and bear fruit.
