Deacon Tom Anthony

Gospel Lk 12:32-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
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, the master will put the servant
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.”

My Brothers and Sisters,

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that,

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.”

As Christians we live by our faith. It is what drives us forward and encourages us to live our lives through, in, and with Jesus Christ. The realization that is spoken of is a higher awareness that there is indeed something more out there and all around us. We feel the calling of God to love Him and are encouraged to react to His presence. Like little children, it takes a lot time and effort for us to react to the presence of God in our lives correctly. There is a learning process that never really ends until we are finally united completely with our Father. We will all make mistakes, but it is through these mistakes that we will be able to better ourselves and bring us closer to him instead of farther away. The important thing is to correct these mistakes, learn from them, and become a better Christian as a result. We all are far from perfect and God knows this.

Anyone can read a book. Anyone can gather knowledge through intense study and discipline. It is what we do with what we learn that counts. As we gain more understanding of who we are in relation to God, we should then apply what we have learned to our lives and live it to the fullest with all these thoughts in mind. That is the foundation of wisdom and the source of all wisdom is Jesus Christ. We cannot be afraid to face what we know to be wrong with us. We cannot try to hide what needs to be washed away through Confession and repentance. These are gifts from Jesus Christ that help us repair our relationship with Him when we break it. What makes us miserable about ourselves can easily be purged and washed away. We can start anew every day.

There are certain goals that we must keep focused on. In the Gospel Reading today Jesus told not only his disciples but all of us to not be afraid and that the Father is pleased to give us the kingdom. What a wonderful gift that is. We have been received into the Kingdom of God and welcomed with open arms. God calls us, we respond, and then we are welcomed. Yet, with it comes a great responsibility. With this knowledge and understanding we are expected to act on it. We have become Keepers of the Faith. The transformative experience of a relationship with Jesus Christ demands that we be ever mindful of what we can do better in our lives while experiencing it to the fullest. We must take what we know and apply it both individually and within our community. We cannot ignore the wounds that we have inflicted on ourselves or the wounds that our brothers and sisters bear. We suffer together and we heal together.

We know what is expected of us and because of this there are great expectations from God regarding what we are going to do with it. There is so much work to do but it is good work that will produce immediate results for ourselves and for everyone around us. The more that we do, the more we will receive in His name. The materialistic worries that plaque this world will fade into the background. The illusions created by Satan will dissipate and be replaced by a higher truth. Where this truth is there will also be more revelations that will further reveal the Kingdom of God. The deeper our relationship becomes with God the more we will understand His expectations. With that, our burden becomes lighter.

The challenge to us is simple: Do we want to manage the affairs of this world with our ultimate goals focused on that which will be gone tomorrow or do we want to be Stewards of God, protecting and promoting that which is eternal?

Deacon Tom