GOSPEL

To whom much is given, much will be required.  
Reading from the holy Gospel according to St. 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.”

Word of the Lord.

What He wants to give you.

Who is the faithful and wise servant? It is the one to whom much has been given, and the Lord expects him to manage it properly, that is, to live in a way that manages it.

Today I was before the cross and I was saying to myself: If I love my spouse and love the Lord, I should give my spouse what the Lord wants to give him. Then, in the Eucharist, seeing the offering of His Body and Blood, I questioned myself again: That offering is what the Lord wants me to manage. I have received it from the Lord, and He wants to give Himself to my spouse, but He wants me to be the one who administers that offering with my own offering.

In such a way that, if my spouse is a sinner, I have reason to dedicate myself for him or her. And if they are more sinful, I have even more reasons to dedicate myself for him or her for their sanctification. That is to be a faithful and prudent spouse.

Grounded in Married Life:

Ramón: Today I looked at the Crucified One, and it seemed to me that He was calling me and saying: “And you, what?” “Don’t you see how I give myself for your wife? And you… what?” I felt shaken by grace and eager to give myself to you. That Crucified One reproached me. Then I said to the Lord, “Lord, I would like to give myself like You, but I feel held back because sometimes she doesn’t deserve it.” When she despises me, when she doesn’t value my offering, when she is not faithful to her marriage promise… I feel that she doesn’t deserve it. Then the Eucharist began, and I contemplated the Blood of Our Lord. And of course, I recognized it immediately: That is the Blood unjustly shed for our salvation. That Blood is the proof that we did not deserve His suffering. Shortly after, in the action of thanksgiving, the Lord, who had just entered into me, said to me: “She deserves whatever I choose to give her, which is My Body and My Blood, and she deserves you to deliver it to her along with Me.” Then, overwhelmed and remorseful, I asked the Lord for forgiveness for not having given myself for you as many times as you deserved and I had considered otherwise. My heart was twisting inside, becoming aware of the fact that the less you deserve it according to my judgment, the more you deserve it according to the merciful love of God. And the pain turned into repentance and into a desire to truly love you, in the way of God.

Mother,

To whom much is given, much will be required. I look at the Crucified One, and this phrase pierces my soul deeply. Mother, grant us the grace to respond to so much love. Blessed be the Lord.