Much Will Be Required

"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much." (Lk  12: 48).  We might like to think we have been especially gifted, and truly we have been, which naturally leads to gratitude.  But there is another hitch:  we are to use these gifts for the good of others, for the common good, and to give glory to God.  As we move to the end of Ordinary Time and approach Advent, the words of Jesus regarding the "last things" become somber and foreboding.  Accountability, responsibility become major themes.  Preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus demands that our "house" and our "books" be in order.  As Jesus reminds us and as we see so often, the personal coming of Jesus is like a thief in the night.  How many people daily die suddenly?  A sobering thought, but a reality.  Today and in the days ahead we will be reminded of the "shortness" of this life, and the need to render a full account of our gifts.  May we take some time daily to look at them, thank God for them and measure how we are using them.
Bro. Rene