GOSPEL POWER | AUGUST 26, 2021 - Thursday - 21st Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: 1 Thes 3:7-13 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90 – Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! 

Gospel: Mt 24:42-51 

Jesus said to his disciples, “Keep awake therefore, for you do not  know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the  owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief  was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his  house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son  of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master  has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their  allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his  master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put  that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says  to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow  slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave  will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that  he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the  hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Reflection:

Jesus’ reminder to stay awake is a call to constant awareness  of who we are and to act accordingly. Our identity must  inform our behavior. And this identity is bestowed on  us by the Master himself. Our profound dignity comes from our  being trusted stewards. The Master has put his confidence in us by  placing in our hands his entire household. That relationship-of-trust  rather than a mere call-to-duty must incite us to responsible action.  Although the parable speaks of a reward for faithfulness to duty, what  greater reward can there really be than seeing the

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, your trust is precious to us and is our motivation for acting  responsibly. Thank you for empowering us. Amen.