READINGS for 2006-10-25

NOW

??be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.? ? Luke 12:40

While I am writing this reflection, a super tsunami has just hit Southern Asia. More than a hundred thousand people were killed.
     Fortunately, the Philippines was spared. But what if the massive tsunami had struck us? Are we prepared to face what comes before us?
     We need to be. Every moment of our lives is part of one great plan. This every moment we need to cherish. ?Carpe Diem!? ?Seize the day!? Being prepared isn?t merely gathering food and staying inside our houses.
      Being prepared entails a certain love.
      A certain forgiveness.
      A certain Jesus-ness.
      Cherie Gil, a local actress who survived the tsunami while vacationing in Thailand, said in an interview ?At that moment, I was afraid to die. Not because of the plans I had, but because I haven?t said sorry to the one?s I?ve hurt, haven?t said ?I love you? to the ones I love.
      I just realized that anytime, life may just disappear.?
      Just like the servants who were awake and ready when the master returned we need to be ready.
      Ready?
      Set.
      Go. Paolo G.

REFLECTION:
Are you ready at whatever time the master returns?

Equip me, every single day, with what I need to be ready for your coming.

1st READINGS

Ephesians 3:2-12

We have all been made servants of the Gospel and entrusted with special graces, not just Paul. The question is, ?What are we doing about or with the graces with which we have been trusted?? I, for one, do not want to have to give an account to the Lord on the Last Day concerning graces that He had given me that I never put to use! Let us resolve to discover and use the graces and talents that God has given us and thus fulfill to the best of limited abilities all that God asks us to do in working for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

2 You have heard of the stewardship of God?s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 [namely, that] the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. 4 When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this I became a minister by the gift of God?s grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power. 8 To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light [for all] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him.

P S A L M

Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

R: You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

2 God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. 3 With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. (R) 4 Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name. (R) 5 Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth. 6 Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel! (R)

G O S P E L

Luke 12:39-48

Faithfulness to the will of God and the graces that He has given us is important. We cannot afford to take such things lightly or we will find ourselves in a very difficult situation sooner rather than later when we have to explain our lack of activity in the work of the Kingdom to God. It does not matter what others around us are doing in this regard ? that is their problem so to speak! We should first seek to be faithful to God?s call upon our own lives and then we will discover that we do not have much time to worry about what others are doing. It will be all that we can handle to take care of our own responsibilities.

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. 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.? 41 Then Peter said, ?Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?? 42 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? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 45 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, 46 then 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. 47 That servant who knew his master?s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48 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.

my reflections
think: What are we doing about or with the graces with which we have been trusted?

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Mark 7-9

FAITHFUL, FAR-SIGHTED STEWARD

Our Lord in today?s Gospel asks, ?Who in your opinion is that faithful, farsighted steward whom the master will set over his servants?? Curiously, the First Reading provides an answer, a person who can very well exemplify that devoted steward: no other than St. Paul himself. The great Apostle to the Gentiles testifies, ?Through the gift God in his goodness bestowed on me by the exercise of his power, I became a minister of the gospel. To me, the least of all believers, was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten all men on the mysterious design which for ages was hidden in God, the Creator of all.?
      By way of contrast, Jesus also proposes the image of another kind of person, a different individual totally opposite in the qualities of a faithful, farsighted steward?a thief or a wicked, good-for-nothing slave. The first breaks into houses illegally; the other doesn?t care about the arrival of the master and carries out some monkey business.
      Vigilance is precisely what counteracts both negative examples: vigilance against the thief, and vigilance with one?s self. We are all servants in the Master?s household. Not only do we take care of our Master?s possessions and protect them against intruders; we also discipline and carefully watch no other than ourselves, so that we don?t engage in sinful behavior just because the Master is out.
      St. Paul was talking about God?s ?mysterious design which for ages was hidden in God.? But now that is already made known through Christ. The Divine Thief who ?steals our hearts,? or the Lord Himself, has already come and has broken in our walls and gates. Hopefully He doesn?t catch us flat-footed but diligently engaged in our work. Fr. Martin M.

REFLECTION QUESTION:
How faithful am I?

Lord, grant me a steadfast heart and a faithful mind.

Sts. Crispin and Crispinian, martyrs, pray for us.