Jesus said to his disciples, "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had knowledge the hour of the night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So to, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
The Word in other words
So Deus sabe! (Only God knows!) This is a popular Portuguese expression referring to the uncertain result of a future event or in reference to some mystery only an omniscient being would know. Indeed, it is only the Lord who knows as to when He is coming. That is why the gospel of today urges us strongly to stay awake, to be vigilant, to be prepared and to be ready always for we do not know when final coming of Jesus will happen.
But what do we do to remain awake and vigilant? The call of the gospel for us to keep in constant watch should not be lax, complacent or boring; we need to have a faith that is truly alive and active. We should not fall prey to routine which is our greatest enemy in spiritual warfare; it dulls our sense and makes us complacent. To have a faith that is active and alive means living it out through a life of righteousness, putting into practice the teachings of Christ, recognizing Him in our brothers and sisters, especially the underpreviliged, and serving Him through our needy brethren.
We are certain that the Lord will return. But so Deus sabe when that will be. But when He finally arrives, may He pronounce us "blesses" and fit to be partakers in His kingdom because He finds truly awake and prepared for His coming.
- Fr. Jovito Osalvo, SVD (Lisbon, Portugal)
Today we also remember St. Monica...
PRAYER TO ST. MONICA
Dear St. Monica,
troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant me that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for me, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear my plea for
(Mention your intention here.)
and grant me the grace to accept His Will in all things,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
