Order of Carmelites

Gospel Reflection

/ Carmelite Spirituality, Gospel Reflection / By

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.”

Luke 12:39-48

Point for Reflection
“Being vigilant is being aware of what enters my heart; it means to stop and examine my life. Am I a Christian? Am I raising my children well? Is my life Christian or is it worldly? How might I understand this? Paul has a recipe for this: look to the crucified Christ. Indeed, it is only before the Lord’s Cross that worldliness can be discovered and destroyed. This is the why the Crucifix is before us: it is not an ornament. It is precisely what saves us from these bewitchments, from these seductions that lead to worldliness.”
– Pope Francis

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