Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
When a friend asks us to take care of something, the request can be an honor because it shows us that the other person trusts us. For smaller matters, the impact might be negligible; but for matters of greater moment, we can know that the person has a certain respect for us. For instance, if someone asks me to hold onto their popcorn while watching a movie, it might not mean too much in the grand scheme of things. But, if that same person were to ask me to watch over his house and pets when he goes out of town, then the greater request demonstrates that the person entrusts me with more responsibility and trusts me to fulfill it. Well, if this dynamic is the case for the natural friendships of everyday life, how much more should we be amazed when the Lord calls us to be “stewards of the mysteries of God,” as in the first reading St. Paul declared of himself and the others sent forth to preach the Gospel.
Just as the mysteries of God are an inestimable treasury of spiritual riches, so too God’s invitation for us to be stewards and caretakers of these mysteries in the life of the Church is an astonishing honor. Yet, with this immense honor also comes a great responsibility. Therefore, first, let us give thanks to God that by his grace he has made us worthy, feeble humans and earthen vessels that we are, to be ministers of his marvelous mysteries. And then, let us resolve with God’s help always to live in a manner befitting this great dignity that we have received in Christ Jesus.