11 August 2013
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I recently returned from two weeks in Brazil, where I celebrated World Youth Day along with 3 million other pilgrims. The WYD theme this year was “Go and make disciples of all nations,” which dovetails quite nicely with today’s Gospel reading. There is much to say on the subject of discipleship, but I wish to highlight just one aspect that is especially poignant in today’s passage from Luke.
Peter poses the question, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” Implicit in such a query is the understanding that, though everyone is called love God and keep his commandments, there are different ways of doing this and different corresponding levels of authority and responsibility. Jesus confirms Peter’s insight by assuring his hearers that the servants who know their master’s will but do not keep it will be treated more severely than the servants who are ignorant. “Much will be required of those entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
I do not know many of our dear Magis readers personally, but my intuition tells me that, in general, you are people who have been entrusted with much, and perhaps even with “more” (as the very word magis suggests). It is characteristic of such people to be always about the Lord’s work, always eagerly awaiting his return, “ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.”