Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

What are you waiting for?

The night before my diaconate ordination was my best waiting night ever/ because I had been desiring this celebration/ for a long time. And St. Mary’s seminary, founded in 1791, indeed prepared me well for that day.

In the Gospel today, / Jesus relates the waiting attitude of a servant in three ways: first, gird your loins; second, light the lamp; and third, wait for the master. These three ways/ are not only about service/ but also/ about the desire/ to serve the Master in love. If the servant does not desire to serve the master/ when he returns, / he cannot be vigilant.But if the servant strongly desires to see/ and serve the Master, / he will be joyfully waiting for the master patiently/ and vigilantly: He will stay awake /waiting in order to serve the master. / He will always gird his loins/ and be ready to do everything the master wants. He will always hold the light/ with a lot of oil, / waiting to light the way for his master. The servant’s desire is why he stays vigilantly.

But what does it mean to gird the loins and light the lamp? Augustine explains that/ it is to restrain from lustful appetites. / This is about self-control. / And to have the lamp burning is to shine/ and glow with good works. / This is about justice. If we strongly desire to serve the master, we will prepare everything to welcome him.

Dear brothers and sisters: The decision to be a vigilant/ or a sleeping servant is ours. But there is something worth thinking about. /If we desire to see/ and serve our Lord vigilantly, / Jesus will help us change our lives/ and eternal destination. And This is the turning point. When the master comes, and if he finds us prepared, / we will be rewarded like vigilant servants.

In that case, the master will no longer call us servants/ but friends/ and invite us to sit at the table/ in his kingdom/ and enjoy the supreme delight of God’s presence. / But, before reaching this point, / listen to St. Paul's words:/ “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, / and Christ will give you light.” (Eph 5:14.)

Awake! // The Master is coming in the Eucharist.