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.”
Homily
As the PDE- 5 is inhibited the blood flow to enlarge and the blood comes from heart. cialis cheap uk Do you know how detection is done for nephropathy? Detection of kidney diseases due to diabetes is a kidney disease induced as a result viagra 100mg prices of capillary dysfunction in kidney glomeruli. Otherwise, it is not obtainable as an over-the-counter acquisition de viagra cute-n-tiny.com pill. this drugstore on sale now generic cialis online This medication is available in the form of pills, oils, creams, patches, lotions and more. I remember speaking to a young adult some time ago who told me; “I have been disappointed by people so many times now that I do not know who to trust.” I also understood at that moment that my pious sounding words about God not letting us down made no sense at all to this young adult. Constant disappointments, especially by those meant to be sources of security had created a habit of distrust which would be very difficult to overcome.
The problem of this young adult is not an occasional problem. Real trust is very difficult for people today because real trust involves risk and risk involves opening ourselves to the possibility of pain be it physical, emotional or psychological. Lack of trust has created isolation among persons on personal, national and international levels. Human bonding is impossible without trust.
In the Gospel reading for this weekend, Jesus says to us; “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.” Jesus is describing a two way relationship of trust. The Master has gone away relying and depending on the loyalty of his servants. The result of the servant’s fidelity is greater trust and a greater degree of bonding between servants and master. In fact trust has eliminated the distinction between them. “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.”
On the other hand, selfishness and self indulgence which make us forget the duties of love and destroy trust, lead only to greater and more disastrous isolation. “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.” When this happens, God’s purpose, which is a world of harmony, is frustrated.
As disciples of Jesus, committed to making God’s purpose for the world a reality, we must be part of that great tradition which all the saints have perpetuated. We have to pass on that great tradition. The saints were known to be builders of trust where trust never existed. Through education for the poor, health care for those who had no access to health care, through social services and through works like that of Mother Teresa’s sisters for the destitute throughout the world, through institutions like Servol in Trinidad, the habit of trust has been built among people who no longer trusted, the isolation in which so many live is being broken down and God’s purpose for the world is being achieved.
If we build the habit of trust with humans, our habit of trust will also apply to God and that will mark our lives in new and beautiful ways. When that happens, the opening words of the Gospel will not appear to be so unlivable; “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.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, It is so difficult to trust! It is so difficult to believe your promise yet without that trust we perish. Give us the graces we need to follow the examples of our fathers in the faith who trusted your word; Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Mary and the Apostles. With faith like theirs your purpose will be accomplished. We ask this through the intercession of Jesus, your Son and Mary, our Mother. Amen
