Date in the Ordine: Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Text: Matthew 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples: "Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the 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 hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
Breaking the text open – background and summary:
The gospel reading for today brings us Jesus’ warning, “Stay awake!” Jesus reminds the disciples that no one knows the time when they will be called to account for their lives before the LORD. Jesus calls us to live our lives prepared.
How does this pertain to us today?
Jesus’ message has as much bearing today as it did when He initially shared it with his disciples. We do not know what the future will bring; therefore, we should live our days as we are called to live them. We cannot put off living as we are called, telling ourselves we will change “tomorrow.” We may not have tomorrow.
Meditating on the text with personal questions:
What are the areas of my life that I know I must change in order to live as the LORD calls me to live? Why am I postponing doing what I should, what I could?
Praying:
LORD, You created us in relationship for relationship. From the beginning, You set before us the ways we are called to live, the ways that build our relationship with You and with our sisters and brothers. You also created time. Help us to use our lives, our times, to make our way home to You, loving You with our whole being and loving our sisters and brothers as You love them, as You love us. Help us to use our time, our lives here on this journey, to grow in our relationships, to grow in our ability to love well and love long. Send your Spirit to guide our decisions and strengthen our resolve for this long journey. We ask this in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who calls us as His disciples and revealed your great love for us that led to his sacrifice upon the cross for our salvation. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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