Daily Gospel Reflection for October 21, 2015

Today's Gospel: Luke 12:39-48

What a dilemma for parents! “That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly.” What does this mean for us as we try to raise our children in the faith of Jesus Christ?

Do we teach our children everything we can about God’s will? Or do we let them remain in ignorance? If our children know God’s commandments and the teachings of the Church, they are up for a “severe beating” if they ignore them. We could play it safe by not teaching them God’s law! That way, the worst they’ll ever get is a light beating. But . . . then we’ve got ignorant children on our hands, children with small hearts and small minds. Our children deserve more.

Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a risky enterprise. The more we know about him, the more he expects of us. Ignoring him is always an option, but the fact that we’re reading these daily Gospel reflections already shows we’ve been drawn into his love. As the prophet Jeremiah says, “You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced.”

God never abandons us. If we ask to know his will, he reveals it to us gently and accompanies us boldly. Knowing this allows us to pray with Jesus, “Thy will be done.”

Ponder:

Am I afraid of following Jesus more closely? What are my specific concerns? When do I worry that Jesus might let me down or forget about me? How does Jesus respond if I share my anxiety with him?

Pray:

Suscipe by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Grace Mazza Urbanski