Gospel

From the Gospel according to Luke
12:39-48

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 also must 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 menservants 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.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Asleep or Awake?

We live surrounded by hurry, noise, and endless responsibilities—so often pulled away from what truly matters: our love and our calling as husband and wife. These distractions numb our hearts. We end up living half-asleep, forgetting—or maybe never really knowing—who I am, what I’m here for, and what my ultimate goal is.

If my life and my choices don’t answer those questions, I’m lost—wandering without direction or purpose. I might be busy all the time, swept along by the pace of life, by noise, by shopping, by social media… but really, what am I doing with my life? Am I the person God wants me to be? Are we the kind of spouses God is calling us to become?

One thing is certain: our last day will come. We don’t know when—but we do know that the Lord wants to find us loving, because we are His children. We’re here to love, and Heaven is our final home.

To help us love well, God gives us many gifts. Saint John Paul II, whom we remember today, said in a catechesis:

“God entrusts talents and gifts to us; we will be judged by how we use them—by the faithfulness with which we manage them in our personal, family, and social lives.”

(General Audience, 1994)

When the Lord returns, may He find us using these gifts with joy and responsibility. To be faithful and wise means to care for what He’s given us—and to use it for the good of our spouse and our family, doing in each moment what love asks of us.

Applied to Married Life:

Paul: Teresa, you won’t believe this—my phone just sent me a screen-time alert saying I’ve been on it way too long today… I’m embarrassed to even tell you how many hours!

Teresa: Oh wow… I have to admit, I got that same alert yesterday and didn’t say anything. It’s crazy how much time we waste without realizing it! It’s honestly kind of scary—because it distracts us, scatters our attention, and makes it so hard to stay aware of God’s presence during the day… with all the messages, memes, and videos constantly popping up.

Paul: Yeah… but what really hits me is that time itself is a gift from God. He’s going to ask us how we used it. What will we say?

Teresa: You’re right. Enough is enough. The enemy has us fooled—numbed—and he’s stealing our time. And time belongs to God. No wonder he works so hard to take it from us.

Paul: Exactly! So, since we’re on this topic, maybe we should take a look at everything God’s given us—our faith, our marriage, our virtues, His grace. Let’s make sure we’re not letting those gifts slip away too. Come on, Teresa—let’s get to work. God’s entrusted us with so much.

Mother,

Don’t let us be deceived. Help us wake up from our numbness and recognize the gifts the Lord has placed in our hands. Everything belongs to Him, and to Him we offer it—

All for His glory, forever and ever. Amen