Thursday of 21st week, even numbered year
"You may be quite sure of this, that if the house holder had known at what time of night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house.
Therefore, you too must stand ready for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Jesus wants us to have a true life , one that is on the one hand a gift we receive, and on the other fruit of our activity.
His presence is always with us even it is hidden so as to strengthen our freedom.
’Watch’ Jesu tells us.This is a strong call that has us be situated in a state of vigilance. I am in a state of expectancy, open to others, commending myself to the Word of God. We know what fatigue, doubt and fear is.
We need to ask for the gift to watch, to be vigilant for we cannot be maintained in a state of vigilance without doing anything.
The image of a construction being built is a good image that speaks of God’s work ; the plumber, the electrician, the painter, each open in his place ensures the success of the global work of the house.
Harmony will come about when each worker brings about the work the master has decided to give him. It is the way I shall accomplish my task that I will have the beatitude ’Blessed!’ This beatitude is given to the servant who is there working at his task, happy to do it.
But if the slave says ’My master is taking his time’ and sets about beating his fellow-servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, his master will come on a day he will not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
Jesus encourages us to be at the work corresponding to us and which opens us up.
We recognise how our work has its part of prayer, service to our neighbour, keeping up our relationship with others.
We desire and remain in what takes us to the final aim of our life for which we were created.
If I come across a building void of builders, I see how the thief has easy access to it.
We want to be vigilant about the fatigue we can have, for the master is late in coming and the danger is that everything disintegrates little by little and that the thief takes everything away.
On a building site where all the workers are at their job, we understand Jesus’ beatitude ’Blessed are they who will be found working.’
Now, God is always seeking our happiness.
“Peter said ’Lord, are you addressing this parable to us or to everyone?’ The Lord said ’So who is this wise and trustworthy servant whom the master placed over his household to give them their food at the proper time?”
We measure just how easily we can let ourselves be led into paths that make us fragile.
We need to build a flexible work frame which keeps us alive, in the presence of our sisters and brothers in humanity and which helps us to remain faithful.
The fidelity with which I am going to work ensures the success of the whole work god is bringing about. And so God’s plan for the civilisation of love comes about!
It is by the love I have in my work that I am going to prove to God the love I have for him.
There is a real beatitude when God’s work is done and the community is built up.
In God’s Church there are various ministries, various graces, what is most important is that each person is faithful to the task given to him by God.