DAILY GOSPEL AND REFLECTION, OCTOBER 23, 2013 ( WEDNESDAY ) Vigilant and Faithful Servants Lk 12:39-48 [Jesus said to his disciples,] 39“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. 40You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” 41Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 42And 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? 43Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 45But 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, 46then 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. 47That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48and 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.” Reflection: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much. The Gospel has a special application for those who have been given charge of others in the Christian community. They are not meant to lord it over their charges, but to care for them, knowing that the Lord made them his stewards to care for God’s people. As stewards, they are not to take advantage of their positions, interested only in enjoying the perks and privileges. St. Augustine, a bishop himself, said to the faithful, “With you I am a Christian; for you I am a bishop. The first is a title of honor, the second a duty. The first is a grace, the second a danger.” The Lord concludes very aptly, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Are you entrusted with stewardship over persons and material goods? How do you discharge your responsibility?
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:10:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015