“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (LK 12: 48)
Our ego likes to be very special, important, and famous. And doesn’t want to do anything to achieve this. When one sees somebody respected is jealous but will do nothing to work hard to achieve the same results. “The person entrusted with much” knows perfectly how important is his/her work, knows how many hours and concern was invested to achieve this, and is not afraid of expectations and requirements because expects from itself much, much more.
“Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“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.” (LK 12: 35-36)
We know how many challenges are in marriage and family lives. We had a very difficult day at work; we had many problems to fix, some small crisis between our teams, or just a lot of paperwork, and the only thing we dream is to come back home and take a rest. And in the first 2 minutes after your arrival, your spouse is asking you to do something for him/her, your kids have some problem or your friends are calling that they need to ask you for your opinion and they will be in 15 minutes. How difficult could it be “ready to open immediately.” Spouses’ daily lives are full of situations when they can practice openness and service. Every victory in these areas makes us grow in love and closer to Our Lord.
“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (LK 12: 15)
We know how important is to provide our families a good life—a nice environment to live in, good schools, a nice level of comfort and simple daily life without big stress. The only danger is when we move our safety from the inner world to the external world; when we believe that the value of our lives lyes in possessions. When we are rich inside, when we are happy inside we can possess things. In another way, the things we possess will possess us.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Knowing their malice, Jesus said, ‘Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.’” (MT 22: 18-19)
We shouldn’t be naive. Jesus’s interlocutors said some compliments, but the true intention was to test him. And Our Lord gave us an example, how to use intelligence and way of thinking of his opponents to answer. When we have the right intention to build a civilization of love and life we can always count on support from the Holy Spirit.
“Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (LK 12:12)
God is serving us, human beings! What a love we receive! The Holy Spirit is teaching us, God the Father is taking care of us, and Our Lord, Who stays with us in every church and in His sacraments, is there to support us, to lead us, and to love us.
“The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Five sparrows sell for two small coins, don’t they? Yet none of them escaped God’s attention. Even the hair on your head has been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. ” (Luke 12: 6-7)
God, who created everything for one reason – because He is love – made the earth for us to give us an amazing environment to live in. Whatever exists, exists because of God’s love. God looks at us with love, protects us, and helps us grow until one day we can be united with Him in heaven.
“Let your grace be upon us, Lord; who have hoped in you. ” (Acclamation to the gospel)
“When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.” (LK 11: 53-54)
We know this temptation perfectly: “to catch at something he might say.” Our ego wants to be always right, to know better, and to have the last opinion. When we practice “defending” our spouses, when we accept that our interlocutors could have a different opinion, when it is more important for us to stay together than to be right, we are practicing love.
“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.” (LK 11: 42)
There is nothing more important than “love for God.” This is our vocation, our origin, and our destination; this is our daily life when we love our spouses and our children; this is our work life and church life. Heaven is a place for loving only and here, on earth, we can learn how to love more and more. How much our lives would be different if we would have only one concern—to love more than yesterday.
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” (LK 11: 41)
Why does giving alms make “everything clean for us”? When we give, we are giving an important message. We live in abundance, we are rich, we have enough for us, and we can share with others; we are generous. We don’t look to others with jealousy, expecting something in return, and being overly reactive to situations. Our hearts are clean.
“The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” (LK 11: 30)
Both Jonah and Solomon ministered to the Gentiles. They prefigured Jesus, who sent the Gospel out to all nations. We are living mostly in catholic countries, but how often faith is separated from daily lives; people are still practicing, but there is less and less love in our actions. Formally we are catholic, but the number of divorces, abortions, contraceptions, and degrees of infidelity still grows. We must “become a sign” with our marriage rituals, extreme ownership, and unconditional love.
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation)
