Waiting for the Lord

Reflection on Today's Readings, 21st Week in Ordinary Time Year II, and Memorial of St. Monica, Thursday 27th August, 2020
Texts: 1Cor. 1:1-9; Ps. 145:2-7; Matt. 24:42-51
We are all waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today's gospel reading tells us two things about the revealing of our Lord: first, it has no fixed day; and second, it is a day of recompense. Having no fixed day is a sign that meeting the Lord requires a firm and constant disposition of the will to doing good; we are to be ready always to meet him. As we await the Lord we are to be firm and constantly doing what it takes to meet him. Christians are soldiers who are ready and on the move to do good work, to protect justice, truth and secure peace.
The revealing of our Lord is the day of recompense, the day we shall have reward for our work. We all have the work of pastoral solicitude, showing love of God to one another. The just are the good servants who are mindful of their responsibility; they give the household their food at the proper time. In the first reading, St. Paul and Sosthenes are given as examples of good servants who feed the household at the proper time. The feeding is the pastoral solicitude of St. Paul and Sosthenes over the people of God. As people of God we have our own pastoral solicitude over the world: we are to permeate the world with the Spirit of Christ, showing God's love to everyone. At the revealing of our Lord, the just will be commended and rule in the kingdom of God. Jesus puts it thus: "Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions".
The wicked are those who, instead of caring for the household, maltreated them and indulge in eating and drinking. The recompense for wickedness is suffering. Hence, Jesus says, "The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth". To avoid the lot of the wicked we are to be ready always for the revealing of the Lord.
Apart from the revealing of our Lord being the day of recompense, it is also the day that we shall encounter the truth as it is, and mystery shall become reality. Hence, the revealing of our Lord begins here and now because we already have the revelation of our Lord in faith. Our faith gives us the vision of our Lord already. Hence, St. Paul says, "I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge". As we await the Lord we will continue to grow in knowledge of him until that day he will be revealed in all his glory.

By your grace, O God our Father, sustain us till the end, and make us guiltless in the day of our Lord. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke