Trong bài Dụ ngôn hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu cho chúng ta thấy một thí dụ về người đầy tớ trung thành, biết lo việc nhà và biết trông chờ và sẵn sàng mở cửa cho người chủ trở về không biết lúc nào. dụ ngôn này, Chúa Giêsu đã nhấn mạnh cho chúng ta biết sự cần thiết về đức tin và sự kỳ vọng thận trọng của chúng ta. Chúng ta biết chắc chắn rằng Thiên Chúa sẽ đến, nhưng chúng ta không biết ngày nào hay giờ nào. Như người đầy tớ khôn ngoan chúng ta phải biết sẵn sàng, tỉnh thức và chờ đợi cho đến khi Chúa đến. Đó mới là người xứng đáng lãnh được phần thưởng nơi Thiên Chúa.
Thánh Basil đã viết: "Những gì là dấu hiệu của một Kitô hữu? Phải chú ý từng ngày, từng giờ và biết sẵn sàng trong trạng thái chuẩn bị trong sự hoàn hảo đó là phải biết làm đẹp lòng Thiên Chúa, và phải nhớ rằng Chúa sẽ đến trong bất cứ giờ phút nào.". Có lẽ ai trong chúng ta cũng đã phải trải qua một mất mát bất ngờ của một người bạn hoặc người thân, mà trong số họ là những người còn qua trẻ. Có bao giờ chúng ta đã trở nên quá gắn liền cuộc sống của chúng ta với những thứ hay hư nát của thế gian này, mà chúng ta đã quên và không chuẩn bị sẵn sàng cho ngày mà Chúa đã trở lại với chúng ta trong ngày Sau hết.? Tinh thần và đạo đức của chúng ta phải là một tấm gương sang và trở thành một ví dụ thực sự tốt cho những người khác dưới sự chăm sóc và hướng dẫn của chúng ta. Đó là một trách nhiệm nghiêm trọng có giá trị cao cần phải được phản ánh.
There are two lessons in the Gospel reading today: preparedness for Jesus' coming, and responsibility to develop and make use of gifts given to us by God. The parable of the servants waiting for the master's return emphasizes the need for faith and vigilant expectation on our part. We know for sure that God is coming, but we do not know the hour. The wise servant is he who is ready and waiting for the master's arrival. It is he who deserves reward from the master. St. Basil writes: "What is the mark of a Christian? To watch daily and hourly and stand prepared in that state of perfection which is pleasing to God, knowing that at what hour he thinks not, the Lord will come." Perhaps some of us must have experienced an unexpected loss of a friend or relative, some of them still in the youthful years of life. Have we become too attached to things of this world, that we have forgotten to be ready, at all times, for God's coming?
The other message tells us of our responsibility and accountability to God for the gifts and talents he has bestowed on each of us. Greater responsibility entails greater accountability. When a person is placed in a position that allows him to guide, care, and influence others, much more is required of his moral, spiritual and ethical life so that he becomes a truly good example to those under his care. It is a responsibility worth serious reflection.
"Lord, you are faithful even when I fail. Help me to remain ever faithful to you and to not shrink back when I encounter difficulties. Make me diligent in the exercise of my responsibilities and wise and prudent in the use of my gifts, time and resources.
Jesus said to his disciples: “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. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Luke 12:39–40
These words from Jesus should cause us to sit up and take notice. This parable, followed by the rest of today’s Gospel, exhorts us to always be prepared for our particular judgment at the conclusion of our earthly life. There are various reasons these words should be heeded.
First of all, the obvious reason is that life for any of us could end at any time. We only need to recall various tragedies in which people have suddenly died from a car accident or from some other unexpected reason. Furthermore, there truly will be a specific moment in time when our Lord does return to earth for the Final Judgment. That moment will take place in an instant without any warning. It’s easy to presume that this end of the world when our Lord “comes to judge the living and the dead” will not happen for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. But the simple truth is that it could be at any time, when those who are alive least expect it.
With that said, there is another important reason to always be prepared and ready to meet our Lord for our particular judgment. Even though our particular judgment will take place in a definitive way at the end of our life when we see our Lord face-to-face, we also encounter Him every day, all day, receiving daily rewards for our fidelity or judgment for our sins. It is useful to see this “hour you do not expect” as every moment of every day. If you can live every day with this ongoing expectation that our Lord is coming to you, today, then every moment can be turned into a moment of much grace.
Think about your day today. Does God want to come to you, to inspire you and to lead you to fulfill His holy mission today? Indeed He does. He has a specific mission for you today that will not be there tomorrow. He wants you to be aware of His presence right now so that you can respond to Him with much generosity.
Reflect, today, upon the importance of always being vigilant and attentive to God’s presence in your life. He wishes to speak to you, day and night, so as to guide you into a life of true holiness. If you can build a habit of attentiveness to His continual comings, then you will truly be prepared for that final coming when you meet our Lord face-to-face.
My ever-present Lord, You do come to me day and night, speaking to me, inspiring me, and leading me. Please fill me with the gift of holy vigilance so that I will always be prepared to meet You and hear Your holy voice. May I learn to build a habit of responding to You always. And may I especially be prepared for that glorious moment when I am blessed to see You face-to-face. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things. You know when and how I will be tempted, how I will fail, and how I will be victorious. Guide me along the right path so that I may be entrusted with more. I am your servant and will strive to care for those you have entrusted to me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. You Must Be Prepared: On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus taught his disciples to be vigilant and prepared for his coming. His disciples need to be vigilant like servants awaiting their master’s return (Luke 12:36-38) and alert like a homeowner on guard against thieves (Luke 12:39-40). The key element in both parables is the unexpected arrival. In one parable, Jesus identifies himself as the Lord and Master who has his servants recline at table while he serves them. In the second parable, Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man and compares himself to a thief. The first parable teaches the disciples that they must faithfully work until the coming of Jesus. The second teaches that they need to guard and protect the household of the Church. After hearing the second parable, Peter wanted to know if the parable was meant for them or for everyone. Jesus answers Peter’s question with a question: “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge?” This was an indirect way of saying that he is especially addressing Peter and the Twelve, whom he has chosen for leadership positions in the restored Israel (Luke 6:13; 22:29-30). “They and those after them must serve as ‘trustworthy’ (pistos) stewards (1 Cor 4:1-2)” (see Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 245).
2. The Faithful and Prudent Steward in the Church: If Peter, the other apostles, and the successors are vigilant and responsible servants, they will be blessed by the Lord who is coming. Jesus alludes to their responsibility to feed the household of God. The wise steward distributes the food allowance (“measure of grain”) at the proper time, unlike the rich fool who kept the grain for himself (Luke 12:18). “The Twelve literally carry out this task in the early Church and then appoint others to do so (Acts 6:1-6). Spiritually, this task of Church leaders refers to nourishing the faithful in a fitting way with the word (see 1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12) and with the Eucharist” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 245).
3. Should we Sin to Unleash More Grace? In his Letter to the Romans, Paul is taking up objections to his thesis. He already addressed the objection that he is overthrowing the entire Old Testament (Romans 3:31). In response, he argued that the Old Testament itself – in the story of Abraham – showed that salvation was a matter of faith and not a matter of keeping the ceremonial laws of Moses. In the First Reading, Paul takes up a second objection and a possible misunderstanding about his argument. He has just argued that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” And so, someone could think, “If our sins let loose a flood of divine grace, then why not continue to sin to unleash ever more grace?” Here, Paul answers that in Jesus we have died to sin and have begun to live a new life. Sin should not have mastery over us. We are not under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, but we are under the New Covenant grace of Christ. Grace is God’s loving favor toward us, communicated to us as a gift that empowers us to act beyond our natural abilities. With God’s grace, we can believe, hope, and love in a supernatural way.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the supreme example of a Servant. You did the will of your Father perfectly. It was your sustenance. Help me to imitate you and be attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit you have poured out within me.
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