On His Arrival

On His Arrival

August 30, 2012

Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:4-8

"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.”  Matthew 24:45-47

Piety

Father, help us to know in our hearts that the fullness of time is not some distant appointment with you in the after-life.  Through the example of Jesus, help us to know that the fullness of time means that we have to live in the present moment – in every present moment – in a manner that constantly prepares us to live in your service. Holy Spirit, inspire us today with every spiritual gift as we work hard while awaiting the revelation of our Lord.  Amen.

Study

There is no such thing as a vacation when it comes to faith.  God is faithful at all times and we are called to fellowship during every waking hour. 

Just like the financial advisors say we cannot “time the market.”  If we could, who would not want to “buy low and sell high?”  They advise being fully invested at all times so you are ready to reap the rewards of a good economy.  However, it also means that you must ride the tides downward when the market takes a dive in value. 

God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:9)  Therefore, we have to be fully invested in fellowship with Jesus.  If we act accordingly, we can count upon Jesus to keep us firm in faith until the end.  The Gospel equates this to the dutiful servant who is in charge of the household accounts.  Blessed is the faithful servant who is engaged in apostolic action at all times (whether the Father is looking or not). 

How do we know God?  We know God through others because other people are the mirror of Christ back to us.  That also means the corollary also is true.  We are the mirror of Christ to them. 

Action

What happens in Church cannot stay in church.  Our faith journey is not some “let-your-hair-down” trips to Vegas where all bets are off.  Rather, our faith journey is one that we must go “all in” as we carry our piety, study and action from the sanctuary to the streets.  After being refreshed on Sunday, in daily Mass, through the sacraments and sacred Scriptures, we have to take that message and action to the world and feed the people at the proper times.

Whom will you feed today?  Tomorrow?  Next week?