418 total reads
Gospel Reading for October 21, 2026 – Luke 12: 39-48
A GREAT BLESSING
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.”
————
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Indeed, when we are entrusted with much or even more, it is not something to be proud of. Rather, it is A GREAT BLESSING because we are given a mission to do something for the world and an opportunity to live a fruitful life here on earth.
If we are Church workers or volunteers, we are expected to provide excellent service to the Church community so that its members’ relationship with God may deepen and grow.
If we are executives in a company or commercial establishment, we are expected to give our best to help the company or establishment grow and prosper.
If we hold positions in government, we are expected to safeguard public funds and ensure that they are spent for the betterment of life of our citizens and on programs that alleviate the suffering of our citizens.
Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
St. Pedro Calungsod, whose feast we celebrate today, was a young Filipino catechist who accompanied Spanish Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines to evangelize the Chamorros of the Mariana Islands.
He was killed by two natives because he was a Christian, taught the Chamorros about the faith, and helped administer the Sacrament of Baptism. Although he was killed and his body was thrown into the deep ocean, his faithfulness in fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by God meant that his killers took only his physical life, not his soul.
He may have drowned, but his spirit never did, because his martyrdom continues to inspire others to remain loyal to God, even in the face of death.
Lord, teach us to live each day as though it were our last day on earth so that we may be found worthy to share eternal life with you when you come again. Amen.
