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August 7, 2022These Gospels we’ve been hearing the past few Sundays are among my favorites because of their practicality. Jesus uses these parables for clear imagery of what it looks like to be His disciple. To be a disciple of Jesus means more than saying I go to Church on Sunday or that one has Christian beliefs. To be a disciple of Jesus means more than being “nice” and “kind” to people. When one tells themselves and others that their a disciple of Jesus, then their life needs to look like something very specific and Jesus outlines what that looks like very well throughout the Gospels. Jesus doesn’t speak in broad general terms or concepts like “Love is Love” and “Science is real.” Jesus gives concrete and clear directions as to what it looks like to be His disciple.
In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us to give alms to the poor, to not make the things of this world our treasure, rather to set our hearts and minds on heaven. “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” If my treasure is in on earth, everything on earth is temporary. I’ll repeat that, everything on earth is temporary. Marriage only lasts until death. Relationships come and go. Things decay, lose their importance, decrease in value, and eventually break or get lost. Everything on earth is temporary. To be a disciple of Jesus means we recognize that, we put on hearts and minds on heaven where our eternal treasure awaits us, and we live our life focused on gaining that treasure one day. “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
Then Jesus spends the rest of our Gospel talking about servant leadership. The Master will reward the servant who continues to serve and prepare the house for the master’s arrival, even if the master is late. Blessed is that servant who the master finds prepared on their arrival. Woe to that servant who is not prepared and beats the other servants. We are the servants awaiting the masters second coming. Are we prepared servants or have we given up and are like the mice who play while the master’s away? Here’s a good barometer of which type of servant you are. Answer these questions in the silence of your heart:
- Do I attend Holy Mass every Sunday, without exception?
- When was the last time I confessed my sins and sought the Fathers mercy in the Sacrament of Confession?
- Do I serve others for the benefit of the other or for my own benefit?
- Do I pray daily?
- Would a stranger on the street know I’m a disciple of Jesus by watching me live my everyday life?
If you’re not at Holy Mass every Sunday, what is it you’re making a priority over almighty God? We get two legit excuses for sickness and work. God does not want us to get more sick nor get others sick and God does not want us to be homeless. But if we’re missing Holy Mass to cook, sleep, go to sports or practices, get coffee with friends are any of those going to get you into heaven? “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
If it’s been a minute since you’ve gone to confession, run don’t walk to the sin bin and receive God’s mercy. I love when people come to confession for the first time in years, even decades, and open with “Father, it’s not like I’ve killed anyone.” I’m glad you haven’t killed anyone, but there are 9 other commandments other than thou shalt not kill. We’re all sinners. Practice humility and receive God’s healing grace for the wounds our sins put on our souls.
If you’re not serving others, you’re not being like Christ. Jesus is first and foremost a servant. Look at the crucifix for the perfect model of service. He died for our sins so we could be forgiven. That is truly what a disciple of Jesus looks like. Study the lives of the saints and you will see each saint did that every day of their life.
Daily prayer gives us the motivation to pick up our cross, serve others, practice humility, and rely on the Eucharist to make us faithful disciples of Jesus. If you’re not prioritizing God and your spiritual health by praying every day, then what are you prioritizing? Will that thing or things get you into heaven. They won’t. Pray every day.
If you do all those things, then I promise anyone who sees you living your life will know you’re a disciple of Jesus. You will automatically be kind, compassionate, forgiving, loving, and joyful. I guarantee hell is full of people who were very kind, but they weren’t servants prepared for the masters return. They prioritized the temporary things of this world over the eternal joy of heaven, and because their treasure was in the things of this world, those things are gone and so is the treasure. Let’s not be foolish servants. Let’s love God above all things and our neighbor as ourself.
