Thursday 25 August 2022

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Today is Thursday 25th August, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time.

One Hope Project sings, ‘Awake My Soul’. Our passage today begins with an invitation to “keep awake”, to be on the lookout for the Lord who often appears unexpectedly. How might you make yourself more alert in this way as this prayer starts?

There's a song inside of us

A song of beauty and of truth

That fear has sometimes stolen

That fear has sometimes stolen

There's a voice inside of us

A voice of creativity

Which judgment tries to silence

Which judgment tries to silence

But now I'll rise

Pouring out my song of love

Here at Your feet

No more fear!

I'm gonna take my place

IN heaven's symphony

Awake my soul!

To sing the song

The song of hope

Step into freedom

There's a fire inside of us

A fire that burns within our hearts

That darkness cannot dampen

That arkness cannot dampen

There's a strength inside of us

A strength that tells us that our

Praise is counted and accepted

I'm counted and accepted

I was created

As a voice not an echo

So I'll sing

So I'll sing

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 24:42-51

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

‘Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, “My master is delayed”, and he begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

God came once to earth in Jesus. He will come again in glory at the end of time. But how does he make his presence known in your own life, here and now, day by day?

The second half of the passage speaks of our responsibilities for others. An attitude of “I’m alright, Jack” can have no place among the followers of Jesus. What responsibilities do you have towards others, as they try and live good and faithful lives?

Notice, as you hear the passage read again, how Jesus thinks of the good slave, the responsible servant.

As the prayer draws to an end, ask for whatever you need to be ready to welcome Jesus, whenever and however you encounter him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.