Word to the Wise
Thursday, August 30, 2018 - Thursday in the 21th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 1:1-9 and Matt 24:42-51]"So, too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, then is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household......?" [Matthew]
Today we leave the smoldering ashes of Jesus' criticism of religious leadership and move on to something just as challenging - the end times! There's an old expression, "There will be a Day of Reckoning...." The Evangelist Matthew gathered a bunch of Jesus' teachings about his Second Coming in one place in the gospel account. The images are vivid, as we will see over the next couple of days or so. Today's image has to do with people who have been entrusted by a "master" with managing and safeguarding property. "Faithful and prudent" are important qualities here.
The "end of time" and the "second coming" may seem too distant to us as events, but our own death is another matter. This is where that "faithful and prudent" thing begins to pinch. Although all of creation will come to an end on the "Day of Judgment" (cf. ch. 25), each of us faces an initial one at our death. It makes sense to "stay in shape" morally and spiritually, but we know from experience that staying in shape requires a faithful and prudent adherence to a discipline. The sacrament of reconciliation is a good reminder of this necessity. Jesus promises us that an intentional effort to be faithful and prudent in living our our daily Christian life will be rewarded both now and on the day of judgment. It's never too late to "take stock" and act accordingly before it's too late! AMEN