Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 11, 2019
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
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.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
This Gospel passage invites us to seek the “unfailing treasure in heaven” which the Father is pleased to give. Are we constantly seeking the treasure that Jesus describes as the very resting place of our hearts?
We often find ourselves going astray, chasing the treasures of the world: be it in work, our social setting, or other measures of “success.” Jesus teaches us to be vigilant in the midst of all these distractions. He directs us to the example of the servant waiting in the night for his master. Without knowing the time the master will return, the servant’s mind is fixed on doing the master’s bidding above all things. We should not only strive to be vigilant for our master, Jesus, coming home in the future; we should also live out what he teaches in every moment of the present.
We prepare for the treasure in heaven by fashioning “money bags that do not wear out” as Jesus says. We must become temples that Jesus can live in, work in, and be signs pointing the way for others. Are we directing our whole lives to not only seek Jesus for ourselves, but also to show Jesus to others? When the priest says “go in peace” at the conclusion of Mass, are we suitable tabernacles that can bring Jesus to the world?
Let us pray to God, through the intercession of Our Lady, the ultimate, first temple who held the greatest treasure on earth for nine months before bringing him into the world, that we too may bear Christ to others. Let us constantly be watchful for his second coming so that when he returns, he will say “well done my good and faithful servants.” May we strive to be worthy servants of the ultimate treasure that is Christ himself.
Prayer
Compared to what you have done for me, Abba, everything I can do for others is a mere pittance. Yet it means so much to you, and does so much in bringing about the fullness of your Kingdom. I ask of your Spirit this day the grace to “wait on someone.”
A smile, a kind word, yielding on the street or in the meeting room, making peace with someone whom I’ve been holding at arm’s length, forgiving someone who has hurt me – whatever you ask me to do, may I have the grace to do it.
Saint of the Day
St. Clare was the most fervent follower of the great reformer, St. Francis of Assisi. She used this great zeal to establish the Franciscan Second Order religious community for women—the Poor Clares, who carry her name in honor of their foundress.
She was born in 1193 in Assisi. Clare came from a noble family—she was well-spoken and graceful. When she was 18 years old, Francis came to her church to preach during Lent. His words kindled a fire in her to follow his example of radical faithfulness to the Gospel.
She sought him out secretly for direction, and he encouraged her desire to leave all things for Christ. On Palm Sunday in 1212, she ran away from home and joined the small band of men who were gathering around St. Francis. They welcomed her at the door to their chapel, where St. Francis gave her a rough tunic made of sackcloth and cut off her hair as a sign of renunciation of the world.
Francis placed Clare with a nearby community of Benedictine sisters. When her family learned of her decision, they came to retrieve her. She stood steadfast and went to the chapel altar and grabbed hold of it. The story goes that they tried to physically remove her, but she clung so fast that they only succeeded in pulling off her clothes.
When her sister, Agnes, joined her, Francis placed the siblings in a small shelter next to the church where he was living, and appointed Clare the superior. Others came to share in their life, including Clare’s mother eventually, and Clare established monasteries for the growing community throughout Italy and Germany. They are known today as the Poor Clares.
Clare adopted Francis’ love of poverty and humility, and her community followed her example. They wore nothing on their feet, slept on the ground, fasted from meat, and observed the discipline of silence as much as possible.
Clare was known to go even further in her mortifications—she wore a hairshirt and intensified her fasting by eating only bread and water during Lent, and some days ate nothing at all. Over time, with encouragement from Francis, she learned discretion and balance in her disciplines, and urged the same of those who followed her.
Clare led her community for 40 years as the superior, but she sought the most menial tasks. When her sisters returned from begging for sustenance, she washed and kissed their feet. She served at table during meals, and helped the sick. She stayed up late in prayer, and when others had gone to sleep, she would check on them and tuck them in if their blankets had come loose.
People noticed extraordinary holiness in Clare—they saw her face shining brightly after she had spent time in prayer. Her intercession is credited with saving Assisi during several military campaigns.
She spent the last 27 years of her life suffering from illness, and when she was frequently confined to bed, she would sew fine linens for altars in the churches of Assisi. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
Her illness took a life-threatening turn in 1253. When it was clear that she would not recover, her community gathered around her, weeping. She told them, “Go forth without fear, for God who created you has sanctified you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, O God, for having created me.”
She died on this date, and her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, where she is also depicted in stained glass. The chapel in Pasquerilla West is named after her, and her image appears there as well.
St. Clare, you followed St. Francis’ radical faithfulness to the Gospel and led other women to do the same—pray for us!