Always be prepared for tomorrow!

Today’s Gospel reading teaches us another parable, this time it’s about our being dependent to God and you can read it in 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. 33 Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide moneybags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

35 Grid your loins and light your lamps 36 and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37 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.

38 And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 39 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.40 You also must be prepared for at an hour you do not expect, the son of Man will come.”

41 Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone? 42 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? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 45 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, 46 then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48 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.”

When our Lord Jesus was telling this parable to his disciples, St. Peter asked the poignant question: “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” But rather than answering the question of St. Peter, Jesus instead asked Peter a question: “Who then, is the faithful and prudent servant whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?”  Are you intrigued as to who Jesus was talking about?

Perhaps the answer lies at the end of this parable, when the Lord said, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Depending upon your perspective you could say that the Lord was referring to the rich whom he has blessed with abundance. But then at the start of this Gospel he gives a warning to the rich, who are interested to enter the kingdom of heaven when he said: “Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, and inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” So what did the Lord mean by this message?

Just like last Sunday’s Gospel reading it is a warning to the greedy who refuse share the inheritance to the least of our brethren. If you kept large sums of money inside a vault, someday moths would eat the paper money and it becomes worthless. The lesson here is for us not to gather material or perishable things that can be stolen or destroyed, rather treasures of love by giving to others and your reward in heaven will be great!

Indeed this parable applies to all Christians, the whole Catholic Church from the pope, his cardinals, bishops or priests and yes, including servant leaders of charismatic communities and the faithful who through all these years has been given the message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The clergy and the servant leaders of Lay organizations have been entrusted with much and therefore the Lord expects a lot from them. This means that they must preach to everyone the Gospel truth and make sure that their message is delivered crystal clear to the faithful.

Meanwhile, we have to live our lives knowing that death might just be around the corner. The Boys Scouts motto is perfect for Christians to use: Be Prepared!  So let’s ask ourselves whether if we are truly and really prepared to meet our maker even if we believe that it is not yet our time? I doubt it. We all live our everyday lives knowing that tomorrow will always come. In that sense, we can say that we are truly blessed. However get yourself a little insurance like going to confession today. Who knows tomorrow may never come! Have a Blessed Sunday.

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.