October 20, 2021 - Wednesday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time

Rom 6:12-18

Ps 124

Lk 12:39-48

Brothers and sisters: Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. (Rm 6: 12-18).

Christian freedom frees us from sin, making us God's servants: it is a true liberation, because sin leads us to death. However, this liberation was offered to us not to simply let us live according to our own will, but rather to become “slaves of justice”.

The new life given to us by Christ is superior to natural life, yet does not invalidate it: the struggle between good and evil continues to be a reality. Natural death is also not suppressed. So what's new? In the struggle between justice and sin, between life and death, Christ has enabled us to take the right side, always in an attitude of service, and to win the battle, because our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. True freedom from sin is serving God:

Had not the Lord been with us, let Israel say, had not the Lord been with us– When men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive; when their fury was inflamed against us. Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; the torrent would have swept over us; over us then would have swept the raging waters. Blessed be the Lord, who did not leave us a prey to their teeth. We were rescued like a bird from the fowlers' snare; broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The responsorial psalm needs no comment: Blessed be the Lord, who did not leave us a prey to their teeth. We were rescued like a bird from the fowlers' snare; Broken was the snare, and we were freed.

The gospel offers us a concrete illustration of what it means to serve God and be a slave to sin:

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.”

The salvation Christ brought us requires our collaboration and vigilance: our earthly existence is lived out in service and expectation. We are not the masters; we are only servants, who must manage the house well and guide the other servants in their service in anticipation of the master’s return.

If the master is late in coming, we who have been called to a free and loving service, could once again become slaves of our desires. We might no longer recognize the hidden but real presence of the one we await in the waiting itself. Our brothers, who serve with us, need to receive their portion of food in due time, not beatings! The expectation of the one we love, and who should always be present in our mind and heart, is incompatible with excessive eating and drinking and getting drunk! As St. Paul rightly says in the Epistle:

Brothers and sisters: Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness. (Rm 6:12-13).

We have only one alternative: either servants of sin for death or servants of God for life!

A very clear example of authentic service of the Lord and a concrete expectation of his return was offered to us in recent times by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose example of a life given has become a call for both believers and non-believers, and an authentic presentation of the missionary apostolate.

In her life and in her teaching, the apostolate of smiling held great importance, apparently so simple to offer to those close to us, but which, on the other hand, can prove extremely difficult in particular circumstances:

Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have no Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we receive. Let us make that one point: That no child will be unwanted. And also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile.

I never forget some time ago about fourteen professors came from the United States from different universities. And they came to Calcutta to our house. Then we were talking about that they had been to the home for the dying. They came to our house and we talked of love, of compassion, and then one of them asked me: Say, Mother, please tell us something that we will remember, and I said to them: Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family. Smile at each other.

And then another one asked me: Are you married, and I said: Yes, and I find it sometimes very difficult to smile at Jesus because he can be very demanding sometimes. This is really something true, and there is where love comes— when it is demanding, and yet we can give it to Him with joy […]

I think that this is something, that we must live life beautifully, we have Jesus with us and He loves us. If we could only remember that God loves me, and I have an opportunity to love others as he loves me, not in big things, but in small things with great love, then Norway becomes a nest of love. And how beautiful it will be that from here a center for peace has been given. That from here the joy of life of the unborn child comes out.

If you become a burning light in the world of peace, then really the Nobel Peace Prize is a gift of the Norwegian people. God bless you!

(Humanitarian/Nobel Peace Prize 1979 December 11, 1979 at Oslo City Hall, Oslo, Norway).

To a journalist who asked her:

“What should we do when suffering visits us?” She replied: “Accept it with a smile”. “Accept it with a smile?” “Yes, with a smile. Because it is the greatest gift that God gives us”. “What? A smile?” “Smile at God, have the courage to accept everything he sends us, and ask and give what He takes away from us with a generous smile”.

(Interview conducted on January 15, 1973 by Ralf Rolls for a BBC school program, entitled Belief and Life).