Read: Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7, Ps 80. 1 Cor 1:3-9, Mk 13:33-37
The prisoners could not hide their joy as the words of amnesty were declared unto them. Their years of incarceration had been cut short by the mercy of the President. They were so hopeful of the future. They were ready to go and continue exactly where their lives had come to a pause. Few months into their freedom, they had to accept the fact that their fanciful ideas and wishes were not in tandem with reality. Things were not going the way they had expected. In fact, they faintly believed that life was better in prison than in the free world.
Beloved, a similar thing is what we see in the oracle of Isaiah in our first reading today.
The task of rebuilding their broken spiritual and economic life was becoming an impossibility. There was therefore the need to call on God to intervene.
Beloved, when things aren’t going the way we expect, what do we do?
*For Isaiah and the Jews, God their Father must come to their rescue. God has proven himself a Redeemer throughout their history. Even if it will take the splitting of the skies for God to descend upon their land, they were ready for it.
Beloved, if we keep silent over our troubles and failures and difficulties, then we are in effect telling God that our life is exactly how we want it to be.
It’s true that God is the Potter and we are the clay. We must however not see ourselves as clays that are mute about their situations, we are clays that can pray for a change in our situation.
St. Paul in our second reading is full of gratitude to God for the many spiritual gifts that have been bestowed on us. Paul acknowledges that all of us have been equipped for our lives as Christian. Even those who were in lack have been sorted out so that we may all bear witness to God.
Beloved, let the gift of God be at work in you.
The theme of being watchful and alert is presented to us by Jesus in the parable of today’s gospel.
Beloved, watchfulness I want us to understand must not be taken as a passive word. Watchfulness is not only an activity of the eyes but a whole ministry of acting in obedience to the master’s bidding.
We watch by performing our duties of taking care of the property of the master.
What are the properties of our master?
Your spouse, children, friends, colleagues, neighbours, the poor, the needy, the marginalised, the orphan and the widow constitute the properties of our master.
Our negligence towards these people means that we are not just asleep but actually dead in the service of our master.
Let’s wake up and do more for our master Jesus than for ourselves.
“Lord Jesus, in our deficiencies, we call upon you to bestow your spiritual gifts upon us so that we employ them in watching and acting your service always.”
By Rev Fr. Donatus Pallu
