Coffee With God

Reflection: Luke 12: 35-38

Jesus’ lesson continues with the parable on the theme of vigilance. In the parable of the servants waiting for their master to return at night, the Lord teaches us, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes” (v. 37). Jesus presents yet another “Blessed” – other than the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. It is the beatitude of faithfully awaiting the Lord, of being ready, with an attitude of service. The Lord comes to us each day, knocks at the door of our hearts. We are aware, that he comes to us not only through the Word of God and the Sacraments, but even more so, through the people around us. Are we prepared to open up and be at the service of the Lord? Jesus declares his beatitude for those who are prepared to serve him in the needy people around them. With this parable, Jesus proposes life as a vigil, waiting in expectation of the call to eternity. We must be ready, awake and committed to serving others. And there is a huge promise for those who are blessed: In his kingdom, it will be God himself who will welcome us to his table. The Lord serves us at the table! This is happening each time we meet the Lord in prayer, or in serving the poor, and above all in the Eucharist, where he prepares a banquet to nourish us of his Word and of his Body. The gospel calls us to “gird your loins”. Pope Francis explains this as an image that recalls the attitude of the pilgrim, ready to set out on a journey. The Lord always walks with us and many times takes us by the hand to guide us, and lead us and make sure that we don’t fall along this difficult journey. In fact, those who trust in God know that a life of faith is not something static, but is dynamic! First He tells us to gird our loins and then we are asked to make sure that we keep our lamps lit. The Lamp that Jesus refers to is the lamp of faith in Jesus. We know, we’ve all had days that were true spiritual nights. The lamp of faith needs to be nourished in prayer and in listening to His word. Pope Francis also gives us his tip to keep our lamps lit: He says, “I want to repeat something I’ve told you many times: always carry a small Gospel with you, in your pocket, in your bag, to take out and read at anytime. True faith opens the heart to ones neighbour and spurs us on towards concrete communion with our brothers and sisters, especially those who live in need.