WEDNESDAY of 29th WEEK, uneven numbered year “You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You, too, must stand ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Jesus asks us to be vigilant and in particular asks those who have responsability over their brothers. At the time of Jesus, when people wanted to burgle a house , they would pass behind it, make a hole in the wall to get what was inside it. A period of different customs and habits. When we don’t allow the wall of our inner being to be pierced, this means we are attentive to the bridegroom who comes. Jesus reminds us to be vigilant in this way for we know not when our earthly life will cease. The comparison between the Son of man who calls us back to Him when He wishes, and the thief who is careful not to let us know when he will come to pay a visit, speaks to peoples’ minds. Jesus is always the guest of the house ; in faith, hope and love we wait for Him. We are God’s home but we are in a state of vigilance so that the accuser of brothers does not acomplish a work of destruction in or through us. He is the thief of this Gospel. God’s Word also gives us a really important message, for it makes us look at the unity in our lives! Our tongue can speak about God, bless Him, love Him in his Infinite Love for we serve to praise God and we are concerned to make a place for Him in our hearts, for our brothers. It is explicit enough for Peter not to ask any explication, but the question Peter has is different :
“So Peter said, ’Lord, are you saying this Word for us or for everyone?” The Lord replied : ’Who, then, is the wise and trustworthy steward whom the master will place over his household to give them at the proper time their allowance of food? Blessed the servant if his master’s arrival finds him doing exactly that. ’I tell you, truely, he will put him in charge of everything that he owns.“If Jesus doesn’t reply to the question directly for if it is adressed to everyone, we must be aware that that those who had been choses for Him to become his disciples, are men invested with important spiritual possibilities and must be even more vigilant. We understand Jesus’ message very well, for it is adressed to men and women of our time, to all the baptised and a fiortiori to all these men and women who exert a pastoral respansibility in the Church. With what humility and at the same time with what vigilance do they understand how to exert their responsability. Humility, because the gifts of the Holy Spirit, without the divine maternity of Mary, and without the protection of Saint Joseph, it would be impossible for them to face up to them. We are ’the place’ of the Infinite Love of God. The image of the pane of glass that lets the sun come through can help us look at the Sun of God whose ray of light shines through our whole life. We are never as much ourselves than when God is at the heart of our lives. It is when the Word and God’s Infinite Love dwell withijn us that we are truley ourselves.” But if the servant says to himself : ’My master is taking his time coming, ’ and sets about beating the menservant and the servant-girls and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. The servant who knows what his master wants, but has got nothing ready and done nothing in according to those wishes, will be given a great many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but has acted in such a way that he deserves a beating, will be given fewer strokes. When someone is given a great deal, a great deal will be demanded of that person; when someone is entrusted with a great deal, of that person even more will be expected."
The Lord Jesus asks us to be vigilant for the graces of the state of life He gives to all those he invests with pastoral responsabilities and who are at the service of their human brothers and siters. We become aware of the difficulty of what we are called to carry, of the temptaions and traps that the Enemy lays for us, for it is the spirit of evil, the enemy of human nature. The faithful servant will have a reward that will fulfill him. In order to build the civilisation of Love we place ourselves at the service of the Infinite Love of God. Suspened to the Holy Spirit, we shall be ready for God’s work and it will come about in spite of ourselves. The Holy Spirit is given to us so that we be completely there for our work. The one who has recieved much much, a great deal will be demanded of him.; to whom much has been given, much will be asked of him once again. As
we need real bread for the Eucharist and real wine to celebrate mass, so our daily life becomes available in order that God’s work may be accomplished in our amidst . We are the members of Christ’s Body for the edification of this Body which is the Church.