19th SUNDAY, 07 AUGUST 2022: WISDOM 18. 6-9; HEB 11. 1-2, 8-19; LUKE 12. 32-48
Thrust: Alert, ready and prepared!
Indicative: Life is always marked by precarity and uncertainty. But God's promises and action are sure and fulfilling
1. We are called to be good servants and faithful stewards of our master. How to be so? What are some features of such servantship and stewardship?
2. We can synthesize all these marks into the three fundamental theological virtues. They are namely, faith, hope and charity. It is not a peripheral, superficial faith that believes certain doctrines and truths, or recites some prayers or performs certain religious activities.
3. It is a living faith that trusts deeply, relates intimately, and surrenders totally. It is a faith that confides in God's promises even beyond ages and times. It is a faith that is ready to undergo any trial and test and readily proves its depth and reliability.
3. It is a test- proven faith. It is a faith that shows itself in action like Abraham. He left his own country and people to travel to an unknown land. He trusted in God's promise of a heir and multitude of descendants even in his ripe age. He trusted in God's just and unfailing ways and was ready to sacrifice his only son, even against the apparent violation of God's promise of a multitude of nation.
4. Another hallmark of a good servant and friend of God is hope. True hope is not mere wishful thinking or having great ambitions and expectations. Hope is not losing heart even when everything goes wrong. Hope is keeping alive our trust and confidence in God even when He seems to fail us. Hope hopes in God's loyalty even against all hopes.
5. A faithful servant and steward of God is also characterised by charity. Benevolence toward others authenticates a good servant. Faith and hope demonstrate how one is before God, and in relation to God. But charity shows concretely how one becomes and acts toward others.
6. Thus all the good people of faith and hope are also people of charity. One cannot be a faithful and hopeful person excluding being a charitable person.
7. All these three essential ingredients of faith, hope and charity are spread in all the three readings. They are studded into the description of a good servant by Jesus. Different expressions of Jesus indicate these.
8. Faith includes being awake, being alert, ready, being prepared, being dressed for action, with lamps lit and burning. Faith keenly and eagerly serves the master. Faith shares both the blessings and sufferings. Faith considers God and His concerns as the greatest treasures and sets its heart in them.
9. Hope includes waiting on the master, not getting upset at delay and reversal of expectations. Hope trusts perseveringly in God's justice and mercy, in His intervention and vindication. Hope trusts in God's definitive way of destruction of the evil and recompense and glorification of the good. Hope waits patiently for God's own time and in God's own way.
10. Finally, the fidelity of a servant is testified by charity. This is shown in deep respect and concern for others. There is no degrading or despising or ill-treating. There is no neglect or unconcern. There is no irresponsibility or failing in duty and service.
Imperative: How many of today's servants of the master stand these tests? First of all, how many followers of Christ are aware that they are only servants and disciples and not masters and bosses?
(REFLECTION 2)
: “good servant and steward”
Focus: “Be ready and be waiting for the Master”, like a faithful servant and responsible steward.
1. Last Sunday through the parable of the rich fool, we are admonished against a worldly engrossed life that leads to a fateful destiny. This Sunday through the image of a servant and a steward, faithful and responsible, we are ignited and encouraged to live a life that leads to a glorious destiny.
2. The clarion call is: “Be ready and waiting for the Master”. It means, first of all, to be alert and not unawares; to wait for the Master and not to take for granted or lose sight of him; to wait on him diligently and not negligently; and to be prepared both mentally and actually. In this context, some simple and crucial questions to pose to ourselves are: many are ready for many things but how much are ready for the spiritual concerns and for eternity? Many wait for many persons, for many worldly things like money, power, position, good luck, a bright future, high education, happy match, an attractive job, a comfortable life, etc. But how much waiting is there for the Lord, for his Word, for his message, for his voice, for his grace?
3.This awareness, alertness, readiness, and preparation would concretely commit us to live a life of illumination and dedication. This is indicated by the two imperatives: “Keep your lamps lit”, and “Be dressed for service”. Keep your lamps lit: do not switch off the lights; do not avoid light; do not slumber in the dark; do not remain in the darkness where you cannot see clearly, where you may stumble and fall and where you cannot do anything well. Put on the light. Dispel darkness. Be illumined!
4. “Be dressed for service”: often many dress for a party, for a function, for a dance, for a pleasure trip, for a joy ride, for a movie, for a sport. But how many are dressed for service of God and service of others? Is there a culture of self-service, not only with regard to food but also in regard to the very way of living, serving only self-interests?
Direction: Let us be humble servants and honest stewards. Let us not be unready, unprepared, being indifferent, negligent and indulgent.
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