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Thursday, 04 August 2022 01:24

Celebrating At Home - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Being prepared,
remaining faithful
(Luke 12:35-39)

Sometimes in life we find ourselves captivated by a particular cause or project and devote great enthusiasm and passion to it. As time goes on, however, we can find that our enthusiasm fades and our passion cools. Other things begin to take priority.

Like last week’s Gospel, being prepared and remaining faithful is the focus of this week’s Gospel passage. Storing up treasure in the sight of God is good preparation. Hoarding your possessions into ever bigger barns is not.

To stand ready is to be open to the Lord’s coming. Being dressed for action with lamps lit and ready to open the door to him, is the antidote to focussing too much on material possessions, status and power.

The faithful servants who are ready when the master returns are remarkably blessed by the master who will, himself, sit them down and wait on them. A classic reversal of traditional roles.

Luke’s community (and other early Christians) were slowly growing used to the idea that the second coming of Jesus, which they had felt would happen ‘any day now’, seemed to be delayed. Problems were emerging in the community as officials and others seemed to be ‘going off the boil’. Hence, the words about ‘standing ready’, ‘busy at his employment’, ‘having lamps lit’ and being ‘dressed for action’.

The parable about the servants is a call to remain faithful and in a state of readiness for the master’s return.

The parable begs the question, ‘How are the disciples to behave between the two comings of Jesus?’ Like homeowners, we need to be alert and on the lookout for the presence of Jesus.

While the text is about the final return of Jesus, we can also think about being alert and watchful for the moments when the presence of Jesus suddenly breaks into our lives - in a sick friend, a beggar on the street, a person in need, a moment of prayer or reflection.

As believers we want to do everything we can to build up the community, the living Body of Christ in our world, and allow the Gospel to transform our lives – which is seen in our closeness to God and in good actions which serve others.

 

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