Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 21, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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, he will put him
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.”
Today, Jesus says to us, “you must also be prepared.” To this I would respond, “Lord, Lord, how could we have been prepared for 2020?”
This year has shown us unprecedented economic and political instability. The coronavirus has strained the very fabric of our society in every respect. Racial injustice has caused us to re-examine our historical and contemporary identities as a nation. The upcoming presidential election promises to be a turning point in our country, regardless of which candidate wins the race. Today’s gospel reading exhorts us to be prepared for the end times: Christ’s second coming. But what about the more everyday trails we encounter in the normal course of our lives?
We often hear about “once in a generation” events like the economic collapse of 2008, the coronavirus pandemic, or natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and fires. It seems like we have a “once in a generation” event every couple of years!
The message of preparedness in today’s gospel is one that we should carry with us at all times. We do not need to wait until the end-of-days to witness to Christ’s love. We have trials enough in our own day. The final take away for me in this gospel passage is the line, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Those who are blessed with strong educational backgrounds, well paying jobs, and stable economic conditions, (myself included) will be expected to respond to the challenges of the day with the resources that God has entrusted to us. I pray that I am always prepared to live up to that call.
Prayer
Taking you for granted, dear Father, is as dangerous as taking any of our important relationships for granted. There’s too much at stake, and Jesus has promised that there will be repercussions for those who are lackadaisical—not just towards you, but to everyone who depends on us. We are honored that you would entrust so much to us, yet we are aware of our weaknesses and fears. We need your help and that of your Spirit so that we can fulfill your needs and desires. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Ursula's legend has its origins in an ancient stone in a church in Cologne, Germany. How an image of this obscure German saint ended up in a stained glass window in a basilica in northern Indiana is its own unique story.
In the church of St. Ursula in Cologne, there is a stone with a Latin inscription from c. 400. The inscription indicates that a senator named Clematius received divine visions directing him to rebuild a ruined basilica on that very spot in honor of several women who had been martyred there. The visions did not specify the names of the women who were martyred.
But, as the visions seemed to indicate, a number of women had been martyred in Cologne, and they must have been highly revered by the community to have a church built in their honor. How the church had fallen into ruin was unclear. Since the church was named for a Saint Ursula, one of the women, one can deduce, must have been named Ursula.
Legend has filled in the gaps in this record. Ursula, the story goes, was the daughter of a Christian king in Britain, and betrothed to the son of a pagan king. Because Ursula wanted to remain a virgin, she asked for a three-year delay to the marriage. Thus, Ursula took her ladies-in-waiting and escaped from England. Eventually, Ursula and her companions ended up in Cologne, where they were captured by Attila and his Huns and killed for their faith around 383.
When Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World, he named the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean in honor of the virgin St. Ursula and her companions. St. Ursula is also the patron saint of the Ursuline Order of nuns, who founded schools for the education of girls and women throughout Europe. She is the patron saint of Catholic education, of students and teachers, and of the University of Paris.
When the Congregation of Holy Cross established Notre Dame, St. Ursula was one of the patrons invoked by the French priests and brothers of that order in intercession for the success of the University.
St. Ursula's relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. In one stained glass image from the Basilica, St. Ursula holds the flag of England in one hand, and the flowering palm of martyrdom in the other.
St. Ursula, patron saint of Catholic education—pray for us!