Lord, help me to know what I am up against in my effort to follow you and give me the grace to be your good and faithful servant.
You must be prepared in the same way”. Jesus knows well our tendency to allow custom and monotony to govern our lives. He knows that, like flowing water, we often follow the path of least resistance. He warns us to keep a watchful eye so that this does not happen in our relationship with him, or in our effort to glorify and love him with a personal and passionate love. If the owner of the house knew thieves were prowling about, he would undoubtedly take action. Monotony, mediocrity and laziness are always prowling about. We must lay the axe to the root.
The farsighted servant is aware of the strength of the enemy. A strong defence in the spiritual life is comprised of prayer, sacrifice, and love for Christ, love for the sacraments, humility, obedience, faith, trust and discipline. The Farsighted servant knows these things are necessary because he is aware of the enemy’s strength. St. Paul writes:” Finally, grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put on the full Armor of God so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all God’s armor, or you will not be able to put any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full”(Phillipians 6:10-17)
Happy that servant whom his master discovers at work on his return!”. How happy is the man with a good conscience, who knows deep down that he has responded to Christ’s call generously and magnanimously. The path may have been rough-trod and the road weighed down with crosses, but what a joy to have said, “yes” to Christ and to have served him faithfully. There is no greater joy in this life and no greater assurance of eternal life. What a joy to meet Christ at the end of our lives and hear those words from his mouth, “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world” ( Matthew 25:34 )
Fr. Maroun El Kazzi