Thursday of Week 21 in Ordinary Time
1 Ths 3:7-13
Mt 24:42-51
“Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.”
Today’s gospel from Matthew compares two servants. The first one, a diligent and faithful servant that keeps everything in order while awaiting his master’s return; and the second one, a cruel and faithless servant who serves only himself. Guess which one is rewarded and which one punished?
It is probably safe to say that we as Singaporeans are a meticulous bunch of people. We plan things right down to the last detail. We attempt to foresee possible outcomes and find solutions for each of them — yes, we find solutions to problems that do not yet exist! This is so we are prepared for all anticipated scenarios and will not be taken by surprise as we go along on our journey through life. This is commendable, of course, and being very prepared can help us navigate successfully out of ‘black swan’ events.
But what about our spiritual lives? Are we prepared for anything spiritually? The first thing that comes to mind is a sudden death — are we prepared for that? We truly will not know the hour. We could be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then our time here is up. How is our spiritual health at this point? Have we packed our spiritual go-bags for the next part of our journey? The second thing that comes to mind is a crisis of faith. When faced with a difficult situation, one finally understands the struggle between what we know we believe, and the degree to which we want to live out our beliefs. Are we spiritually strong enough to stave off this crisis? Or have our defenses been too weak all along?
World Youth Day has just ended. It was also announced that the next one in 2027 will be held in Seoul. For the Asian church especially, that piece of news was the cause of much elation and excitement. Seoul is fitting, considering the immense faith of the Korean Catholics, as well as the growth of the Church in Asia. The enthusiastic faith of these young people from all over the world, as well the people from all over Asia is very moving. Seeing such burgeoning faith can also relight our own faith, if our faith had been slowly dying down.
It is said that the faith in Europe, North America, and parts of the developed world is on the decline, while it is on the rise in the rest of the world. Perhaps it is so, but there seems to be an exuberant faith among the youth. Maybe it is simply that youth, or young faith, is more energetic, more sincere, more earnest. We see this in ourselves and the people around us. The new converts and the newly-revived Catholics are the ones most raring to go. They are the ones with all their ducks in a row, the ones who will have things ready and refreshed every day while awaiting the return of the master. And then there are those who have gotten complacent, lazy, or have simply lost hope or belief. We have also seen this, maybe also experienced it.
What does it take then, for us to keep our faith blazing so that we, like the faithful servant, are constantly on the ready? We could push ourselves to refresh our spiritual lives with prayer. Even if we do not feel like it, we should still make time for frequent short prayers. We can go for retreats; short ones first, then longer ones, if we so wish. I personally find that taking small but constant steps is better than occasional large steps when it comes to maintaining a healthy spiritual life. Furthermore, small steps are less daunting, if you are looking for a way to start.
Brothers and sisters, faith is for all of us, from the strong to the weak. We are all called to be ready, and now is as good a time to start as ever. Let us pray for the strength to get our spiritual affairs in order. Let us be a pillar of support for one another as we go about emulating the faithful, watchful servant who awaits the return of his Master. Let us help one another to keep the fire ablaze in our hearts.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Felicia Zou)
Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for the strength to turn back to You when we have strayed. We pray also for all those who find it difficult to turn back to You. May You be a source of encouragement for them.
Thanksgiving: Dear Lord, we thank You for Your unending love and patience for us, even when we fall so many times.
OXYGEN 
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