29TH WEEK, TUESDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR 1)

BY: FR. KARABARI PAUL

THEME TODAY: BE WATCHFUL.

‘Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes’

The Gospel of today (Luke 12:35-38) addresses the need to be watchful.
“Watching” points directly to the necessity of being ready for Jesus Christ, the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). It also includes patiently waiting, as is seen in Matthew 25:1-13, where the virgins must wait for the bridegroom. If the master’s return is late at night or very early in the morning, the alertness of the servants is even more commendable. Vigilance is simply to be security and calamity conscious. It has to do with the ability to be attentive and alert for any sudden changes.

Jesus teaches that His disciples should always be ready because He would come at a time when they would not be expecting Him. The parable pictures several servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet. They must remain constantly vigilant so that the master could enter the house immediately upon arriving at home. If they prove worthy by being watchful and ready, their master will care for them.

Being watchful here requires patience. And patience is something that grows with us. Think about little children you know. Their understanding of the world means that they have very little patience. If they are expecting something, they want it now. But the older a child grows, the more they understand the reasons for waiting, and the more they build trust and patience with those around them.

Our relationship with God is a lot like that. We can often have the patience of a toddler with His plans, but the more we grow in our understanding of Him, and talk to Him in prayer, the more faith we develop to say ‘in Your timing’. We can use every waiting period, and every seemingly-unanswered prayer to build our relationship and our trust in Him. In James 1:2-4 we are told: ‘When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy…when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow’ Let us learn to identify setbacks and delays as chances to step closer to God, and to seek His wisdom and guidance.

The endurance that we build could become a key part of fulfilling God’s plans, as we start to recognise God’s hand at work, hearing His prompting more clearly. Romans 5:3-4 says this: ‘We continue to shout our praise even when we are hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us… keeping us alert for whatever God will do next’. Looking for God in the quiet or tough times can be part of what makes us who we are meant to be. Being watchful keeps away the intruder of the souls. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and country, bless and protect us all. Good morning

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