Javier Castellanos, LC
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ, our King.
Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Thank you, Father, for your love and generosity. With overflowing hands and freely you bless your children. Thank you for so many things you have given me in particular: for that specific thing that I appreciate most, and also for what you give me without my knowing or that perhaps I find difficult to accept. Help me, Father, to know how to wisely use all that you have gifted me. May all that is in my hands serve to sanctify your name, extend your Kingdom, and fulfill your will.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the holy Gospel according to Matthew 24:42-51
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful and be ready, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the owner of the house knew at what hour the thief was coming, he would keep watch and would not let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Consider the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time. Blessed is that servant whom the master on his arrival finds doing his duty. I assure you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant is wicked and thinks his master is taking a long time, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
Each of us has received a very special commission. God has filled us with gifts: internal and external, spiritual and material, personal and shared. All these blessings come from his hand, and we know that at the end of our lives we will have to give an account of the good we have been able to do with them. That is why Christ invites us today to be prudent in our administration.
The faithful and prudent servant is always fulfilling his duty. It doesn't matter if he is being watched or is alone; he knows he is in charge and takes responsibility. He is prudent because in any circumstance he asks himself, “What does my Lord want me to do with this wealth?” We too can learn this prudence; may all our decisions throughout the day be ordered according to a central criterion: What does God want from me now? This moment I have available, these possessions I own, what are they best used for? Where should this “money” be invested?
More specifically, what does it mean to fulfill one's duty and administer prudently? In the parable, Christ shows us the negative example: a man who only thinks of himself, who eats and drinks and mistreats others. From this, we can imagine what God wants. We have inner gifts and riches for the good of others. Just as Jesus, who came into the world to serve, rather than to be served. We are prudent, truly prudent, in our decisions, if we always “administer” for the benefit of others. More than thinking about what I like, having the well-being of my family as a criterion, pleasing those around me, bringing others to God, and helping everyone I can who needs me. This is the stewardship that Christ will reward!
As children of God, the Father has entrusted us with a portion of His house and His family. Let us be grateful for the trust He places in us. Let us ask for His help to use the gifts He has given us well. Let us decide today to live to serve.
We are called to broaden the horizons of our hearts, to allow ourselves to be surprised by life as it presents itself each day with its novelties. To do this, it is necessary to learn not to depend on our securities, on our established patterns, because the Lord comes at an hour we do not imagine. He comes to present us with a more beautiful and larger dimension.
«May Our Lady help us not to consider ourselves owners of our lives, not to offer resistance when the Lord comes to change them, but to be prepared to let ourselves be visited by Him, an expected and welcome guest, even if He disarms our plans.
(Cf. Homily of H.H. Francis, November 27, 2016).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
Today I will try to share something that I enjoy with others.
Farewell
We thank you, Lord, for all your benefits, you who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
