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 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.” ( Luke 12:39-48)
Reflection
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
There it is. His words clearly remind us of our obligation as Christians.. An obligation that should mark every moment of our day as well as guide every action and every word of our life. There is no way that we can evade that obligation by claiming nescience, or not being aware. As Christians, we know. Nor can we claim ignorance, Jesus’ words have been spoken to us.
The corollary to that is our recognition that we, as Christians, with the guidance of the word of God, bear far greater responsibilities for the wrongs we do than others, such as non-Christians or non-religious people, who have less guidance.
So, what we should do to claim that we are followers of Christ.
We are entrusted with three types of blessings – time, talents and treasures. All these three are free gifts and will be with us only for a limited period.
- Time. God may not be always around to guard us and correct us, but each day we are given a gift that cannot be retrieved. We have to make the best of each opportunity that God allows us to have.
- Talent/Treasure. Our position and authorities are privileges that carry responsibilities. To be a servant in charge of others is an acknowledgement and recognition that somehow, we have one over the other when it comes to abilities and skills.
- Charity. God is love. As His servants, we have to be one with Him not only in his vision and mission, but also in his values.
Have we failed to care for our world, the planet earth as well as the social, political and economic structures of our time? Have we neglected to help our neighbors when they are in need? Let us continue to ask ourselves, who are much more blessed by God not only in material wealth but also in talent, time and in other ways, did we share to those who have less?
The joy and privilege of being a son/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 God gives, the more God requires. The temptation while the Master is away is to put off for tomorrow what the master expects us to do today. Are you always faithful to God and ready to give him an account of your stewardship?
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, you are faithful even when I fail. Help me to remain ever faithful to you and to not shrink back when I encounter difficulties. Make me diligent in the exercise of my responsibilities and wise and prudent in the use of my gifts, time and resources.”
Daily Note
When we leave Church, we are Church, sent into the world which God still loves so much that he sends His only Son. (John 3:16). We are His arms, His legs, His message, for a world still waiting to be born again. We have the message of true freedom for an age which longs to be liberated from the shackles of relativism and nihilism. We are sent to a people who long to hear the words of the Master saying, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6)
We are to become His voice. We live in the heart of the Church for the sake of the world.
