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God loves faithfulness. That is why we can always expect God to give us what he promises. In turn, God expects us to be faithful to him and to one another. How can we grow in faithfulness? When we are faithful in the little tasks and promises we make, we learn to be faithful in the bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks entrusted to us.

Memorial of Sts. John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues

Hebrew 11:1, 35b-38, 12:1-2

Psalm 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

L uke 12:35-38  "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, (36) and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. (37) Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. (38) If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!

Meditation by Don Schwager

A re you ever caught off guard when someone shows up unexpectely to get something from you or to see how you are doing? The Boy Scouts have as their motto, Be Prepared! Jesus' master-servant parables seem to extol the virtue of preparedness. But there is something deeper and even more important behind it. There is an element of surprise in the story of the master returning home at a late hour after attending a marriage feast. Will the master catch his servant sleeping rather than keeping watchful guard? And what about the reward promised for those who faithfully perform their duty, day in and day out, no matter what the circumstances?

The image Jesus uses here is a great wedding feast in which the master honors his guests by seating them himself and personally waiting on them. What a great reversal – the master becomes a servant to show his respect and honor for his beloved guests!

This parable contains a lesson in faithfulness and a warning against sloth.Why is faithfulness so important to God? For one, it's the foundation for any lasting and meaningful relationship. Faithfulness or fidelity allows us to persevere in living out an unswerving commitment.

The Lord is committed to us in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. That is what covenant means – keeping one's word, promise, and commitment no matter how tough or difficult it gets. Faithfulness is a key character trait of God and one that he expects of us.

Fortunately God gives the grace and strength to be faithful. He also rewards faithfulness. Why is fidelity, commitment, and faithfulness so difficult today? Many today in western society extol freedom over fidelity and don't want to be bound to an unknown or uncertain future. It's regarded as inconvenient and a burden to the pursuit of the individual's interests. We badly need to recover this virtue, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of future generations as well. If we want to pass on the faith then we need to first be faithful models for our young people.

Faithfulness demands consistency, a determination to stay the course and see the task to its completion. Cal Ripken, an American baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, is a sports hero and a legend to many simply because he always showed up for the game and gave his best. He didn't miss one game in 16 years of playing baseball! That's a total of 2,632 consecutive games. Only one other baseball player in history has come close to that record. In 1983 he hurt his hand sliding on artificial turf and was unable to grip the bat at first; he somehow gritted his teeth and got five hits that night, two of them home runs.

God loves faithfulness. That is why we can always expect God to give us what he promises. In turn, God expects us to be faithful to him and to one another. How can we grow in faithfulness? God's grace shows us the way.

When we are faithful in the little tasks and promises we make, we learn to be faithful in the bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks entrusted to us. Our reward is the Lord Jesus himself who shares with us his joy and friendship – "well done good and faithful servant ..enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21).

"Lord Jesus, you are faithful even when I fail. Help me to persevere in faithfulness and not shrink back in the face of challenges or difficulties. May I never forget your presence with me and may I always be ready to receive you when you call me to your home."

Supplementary Reading

Loving God

...Love the Lord your God with all your heart... -Luke 10:27a (NIV)

Y ears ago, I would hear people talk about being crazy in love with Jesus. In my own way, I had committed to Him, but I couldn't relate to their expressions of sublime love for Him. I loved Him, but it wasn't that pitter-patter of the heart like I had felt for Jim when I first met him. My head loved the Lord, but most of the time my heart was unmoved.

I believe that is because I spent my life being a "good girl." Unlike the servant who loved much because he was forgiven much, my love for Christ was not as deep as what I saw in my husband, whose life was radically changed by Christ.

Then one day when I was praising Him, I started to thank Him for my husband and my sons. I was overcome by gratitude. I found myself on my knees, my head all the way to the ground, imagining I was at His feet. Love and adoration poured out of me like when Mary poured expensive perfume on Christ's feet. Like her, my tears drenched His nail-pierced feet. I realized how much He had done for me and I loved Him - my God - with all my heart.

The more time I spend with Him, the more I get to know Him. The more I get to know Him, the more I love Him. The more I love Him, the more I want to spend time with Him. And so it goes - the spiral of love that carries me more and more in love with Jesus.

How He longs to love you and have you love Him in the same way!

Lord Jesus, how I love You! How I adore You! Because You first loved me! You gave Your life for me. Knowing that is enough - more than enough - for me today and every day. Amen. - Sheila S. Coleman

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

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