The Stewards of God's Grace

Reflection on Today's Readings and Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, Saturday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time Year II, 29th August, 2020
Texts: 1Cor. 1:26-31;  Ps. 33:12-13.18-21; Matt. 25:14-30
Today's Readings bring to mind the word of St. Peter: "Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others" (1Pet. 4:10). In the parable Jesus reveals that we have all been given graces by God. He says, "Man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability".  God gave us graces according to our abilities, so there should be no jealousy; we should put them to work to be multiplied. Deformation of faith can make one slothful and not make use of the grace. The faith of the third servant in his master is a kind of deformed faith. His deformed faith makes him slothful and not make use of  the grace he is given. His master says, "So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Each of us is a trustee of God's grace, whatever we make of it determines our end, whether reigning with God forever or weeping and gnashing teeth in outer darkness.
The first reading reminds us that what we are as God's people is by his grace. As Christians we are living on God's grace. It is written thus: "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom  God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption". This reminds us that we should always live our lives to give glory to God. This brings to mind the word of Hans Urs von Balthasar: "What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God". Let us make good out of our lives so that we can be living sacrifices, pleasing and acceptable to God.
St. John the Baptist, whose memorial of his passion is today,  made his life a living sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to God: he lived for the truth and died for it. Let us live to spread love. Let us live for peace, justice and Truth. We will be giving back to God a pleasing and acceptable gift if we live for peace, justice, Truth and spread love everywhere.

Lord our God, may our lives be pleasing and acceptable gifts to you. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke