Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 12:32-48
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 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.” Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 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? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. 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, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 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.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to keep my “lamps lit” for your coming in my daily life and in view of the consummation of your saving plan in history.
Encountering Christ:
- Nurturing Hope: Today’s first two readings nurture our theological memory. The reading from the book of Wisdom recalls the Exodus, nurturing hope in God’s promise. Through remembrance of God’s saving plan, the Jewish people’s sense of identity as a Chosen People was reaffirmed and reinforced. We are invited to engage with salvation history as an integral part of our own personal story, allowing it to affirm our identity as beloved and saved children of God. The reading from the book of Hebrews recalls the faith of our ancestors who received the reward of blessing through an exodus from slavery. It recalls Abraham’s unshakeable faith and hope in God’s promise. We stand in a long line of witnesses of God’s faithful promise. Allow that truth to strengthen your hope in the Lord’s fidelity in your own life circumstances.
- Hope Nurturing Trust: Consciousness of God’s fidelity inspires trust in present circumstances. When fear surfaces, we do well to turn to our theological memory of God’s promise and fidelity. We recall Jesus’ tender words, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). Hope and trust are like beacons of light that casts away lurking shadows of doubt and fear. We keep our lamps lit by exercising these necessary virtues.
- Blessedness in the Kingdom: We keep our lamps lit by encountering the Bridegroom himself. He is a gift from the Father and the entryway to the Kingdom promised us. Christ is the “door between time and eternity,” the bridge between us and God the Father, the way, truth, and life for all who are baptized into his Kingdom.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me keep my lamp lit by trusting in your promise. It is not a far-off promise but, rather, it is very relevant to the present circumstances in which I find myself.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will recognize doubt and fear that try to quench the flame of faith. I will make no change in the orientation of my heart towards you, nor the good resolutions I made in times of light and consolation. Rather, I will increase my acts of hope and trust in your fidelity.
Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala and “Nine Days with Mary Magdalene.”
