Take a moment and think about the person you most associate with faithfulness. Is it someone who expresses gratitude to God and others during the good times only? Or is it someone who is steady and calm even in the face of hardship? The second group of people we call people of “deep faith.”

Today’s Scriptures invite us to reflect on that kind of faithfulness—a faith that endures not only in moments of blessings but also in moments of difficulty. It’s a faithfulness that is rooted in hope, that means “something deeper and more lasting.”

Let us see the meaning of the parable of the master who returns from a wedding feast to his home in the middle of the night. The door to one’s house in the ancient world was usually bolted from the inside, especially at night, to keep out thieves and troublemakers. It was not possible to enter from the outside without help from someone inside. Household servants who knew their master’s voice were expected to be always vigilant and prepared to unbolt the door and let him in without any hesitation. This required an attentive watchfulness and a listening ear for any sign of the master’s approach. No distraction, not even sleep, could be allowed to interfere with the preparation for the master’s return. If the servants failed to hear the voice of their master upon his return, they literally shut him out since he could not unbolt the door from the outside—only they could open the door from within and allow him to enter. Their failure to welcome and serve the master on his return brought shame and dishonor.

He wants us to be prepared for his coming—every day and even at the hour of our departure from this life (our death), and when he comes again at the end of this present world to judge all the living and the dead. The Lord will reward those who have believed in him. The Lord Jesus knocks on the doors of our hearts each and every day.

Jesus’ parable has an important lesson for each one of us. Just as Jesus was faithful and ready to obey his Father in everything—even to the point of laying down his life on the cross for us, we, too, are called to be faithful and obedient to the Lord’s will for our lives. In order to grow in faithfulness and obedience to the Lord, the Lord gives us his Holy Spirit who frees us from the worldly distractions. Then we can hear the Lord and embrace his way of love and faithfulness always. If we fail, the Lord will not fail us. He gives strength to the weak and to those who turn to him with trust in his mercy and help. Ask the Lord Jesus to fill us with his Holy Spirit and with the holy desire to seek the Lord and his kingdom first
and above everything else.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, He is ready to send His Holy Spirit always in our daily lives. The question is—are we ready to open the door for Him? As we read in the book of Revelation, the Lord calls to each one of us and says, “Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will feast together.” Let the Lord come into our hearts so we may feast with Him.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley