TUESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY NINETH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
St John Paul II, Pp. (Opt. Mem.)
Ephesians 2:12-22
Luke 12:35-38
GOD OUR PEACE AND OUR “SERVANT”
Do we ever think for a moment the role of servant God plays in our lives? That at times we are served, we are washed, we are cleansed, we are taken care of, and we feel served by our God. In moments when we are down and out, he comes to restore our strength, to renew our hope, to bring happiness to our lives and remind us of who he is in our lives. When we are dejected, and come running to him, seeking him in prayers, opening our minds in supplications and intercession, and our problems begin to fizzle out and we feel restored to our state of happiness. We are outrightly served by our God. He listens, he hears and he acts. By this we are served. There is no other way to visualize our God serving us rather than these ways.
In the gospel of today, that is the image that we see and Jesus presents to us. He wants to serve us too. “… truly, I say to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.” Our Lord Jesus wishes to serve us, to do what he did on the day of the last supper with his disciples. For on that day, Jesus served his disciples, he washed their feet, cleansed it and made them clean. And he used it as an example to be emulated. But the key is that he served his disciples as an example that he can serve.
Luke’s gospel again talks about Jesus serving us or wishing and promising to serve us, which he is doing already. But the question is, to those is he serving, Who are the ones really that our God wishes to serve?
Jesus made it clear those whom he will put on apron and serve. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes;” To be found awake, to have your loin guarded and your light lit, to be like men waiting for their master, to be ready to open whenever he comes and knock. These are not just eschatological, or things to be done in the next world, or projections for those who die. But they are rewards to be gained here and now on this earth.
Faithful disciples, good followers of Jesus and Christians who attend to their lives and duty as Christian, are promised these. That God will serve them. It means that Christians who stay awake to their duties, always thinking of God, Jesus, and life in Christ, being careful to live the life, struggling to subdue the desires of the flesh, rising above temptations and trials are really and truly awake.
To be awake is to be alert, to be conscious of one’s belongingness to Christ, and having a duty towards God. It is this consciousness to duty, to live and to have good morals that Jesus means by saying that we must be awake.
The burning lamp of a Christian is the life of grace being lived. The life of God in us. The grace of Christ always showing in our lives, and the virtues of the Christian lived out.
This will be seen in the hope we nurse. The hope for eternal life, union with God, peace with everyone, and love propelling and urging us on.
We open when the voice of the master speaks. We listen first, we recognize the voice and we open for the master. We are attentive to the directives of the master, we learn his ways, we know his voice, we are comfortable with him. Whatever he requests we offer. When he comes knocking, we are ready to open, to welcome him, to give to the needy, to offer help to the downtrodden, to sacrifice for the good of others.
As Saint Paul tells us today in the first reading, that we have been brought near to God and have been reconciled with God who is our peace. Saint Paul reminds us of our state before salvation was offered us in Christ. We were without hope and at enmity with God, But when Jesus came, he broke down the barrier between us and God by his blood and restored our peace with God. And above all, we have hope and the promises of a great inheritance, which among them is the service we receive from our God.
Let us strive earnestly to maintain this peace by our readiness to listen, to abide, to have our light burning and our hope alife. And be sure that God will continue to serve us, by listening to our yearnings, providing our wants and upholding us in this battle of life.
Heavenly Father, you are always fighting our cause. Grant that with you, we may continue to remain faithful to our baptismal promises, to abide in you, listen, grow and work with you. May we continue to experience your love and blessings, your provision and care through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
