There is a common theme in our readings today, one of awareness, and of the responsibility to show ourselves as loving stewards of God’s gifts to each one of us. The book of Proverbs tells us about the value of a wife, who is loving and self-sacrificing to all, and describes the joy that she brings to anyone fortunate enough to be her husband, as well as to all those around her. She is indeed a treasure beyond price, and those of us who are blessed enough to be married to someone like this are indeed profoundly grateful. The loving care she provides through her following God’s call can only be truly compensated through thankful prayer to our Lord. Our own feeble attempts at making her aware of her importance in our lives usually fall short, and perhaps all too often don’t occur at all. This, however, does not dissuade her, and her reward will indeed be a heavenly one.
We are, in fact, all called to such selfless giving – every one of us. Our purpose is to fulfill this kind of giving toward one another, and in doing so, serve our Lord in this same way. Saint Paul tells us that we must be cautious to keep this in mind so that we are not caught off guard by having neglected to serve our Lord in this way. If we are truly prepared by performing this loving service toward all, we will have no fear of being caught off guard, or of anything that might befall us, because we are in fact ready to meet our Lord when the day comes. This is, in fact, the true peace and security that we all seek: to be close enough to our Lord in our lives that the intimacy we have with Him leaves us with a focus and a longing for Him, rather than a dread or fear of that which is unknown.
In our Gospel today, we hear of a comparison of the actions taken by the three stewards. We hear of initiative vs. sloth and of the varied abilities of each of those involved to carry out their master’s call. There is a lesson here that applies to each of us with respect to our Lord’s expectations of us. We are all unique and we possess gifts of varying types and degrees. Yet we are all called to use them in God’s service to the best of each of our individual abilities and stations in life. We can all find a way to put ourselves at the service of others. Perhaps we teach, or heal, or build, or fix things, or perhaps we simply place ourselves at the service of others where we see some unmet need and do the best we can to help. None of this needs to be perfect; we simply need to be willing to try and to engage. That is what our Lord is looking for. He will fill in the blanks of what we are lacking if we simply try, and while doing so, we can place our faith in Him to provide the guidance and solutions that perhaps we do not yet see. To press on in humility and faith regardless of how insurmountable the situation may seem. This is the loving reliance and effort that God seeks from each one of us. To place ourselves in service to all, even when we don’t feel completely comfortable with our situation. The thing we have to keep in mind is that those we help may well not be in a comfortable place either. But there is a solidarity that we can provide in our efforts that will help them. Perhaps just as importantly, our mere presence may help them not to feel so alone. This can all take many forms, but the common denominator is love.
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The Deacons Bench 