Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You must also be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the manservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord I believe that you exist even though I cannot see you. But I also believe that one day I will see you face to face and then I will have to account for everything I have done on this earth. Lord, help me in this meditation to prepare for that day so that I will not be caught off guard. You, Lord, can give me the grace I need to be always ready. In this time of prayer I want to be open to your grace.
Petition: Lord, help me not to fall into the sin of presumption, but to be always ready.
I. I Do Not Know the Hour
I know that I am going to die; that is certain. But I do not know when it will happen. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be in many years. I do not know how I will die. It could be in a hospital, in a wreck, or as the victim of violence. What is certain is that the hour will come when Christ will come knocking to take me away from this earthly life, and it might well be the hour when I think everything is fine, when I feel very secure in this life and I am not expecting it.
II. God has Entrusted Much to Me
God has entrusted me with his creation: my family, positions, time. God has placed me as steward of all these things in my life. He has entrusted them to me not for my own pleasure or to do with them as I wish but to take care of them responsibly. I must consider each one of the things God has entrusted me with and reflect to myself, “I am merely a steward. I have a responsibility to care for and watch over these things until the master returns.”
III. I Must Not Fall into the Sin of Presumption
How easy it is to fall into the sin of presumption and think the master is not coming any time soon. I still have time to live. I am young. I will straighten it out latter. I will be able to find an excuse. Surly the master will not punish me. The hour I least expect it he will come and demand an accounting for what I have done, and I who realize how much God has entrusted to me will not be let off with a light punishment.
Prayer: Lord you know the many times I have fallen into the sin of presumption and ignored your warnings. And I know that the hour will come when I will have to render an account of my stewardship. You have entrusted me with many things and many times I have abused them thinking that I would get away with it. Help me to be ready for your coming. Help me to be a good steward of your creation.
Resolution: I will live each day as if it were the day that the master will return.
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