Wis 18:6-9 / Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 / Lk 12:32-48
There was frog who was feeling very sad about his life, so he went to visit a froggie psychic, hoping to find some good news in his future. “Froggie,” said the psychic, “You are going to meet a beautiful young woman who’ll want to know everything about you.”
“Oh, wow!” exclaimed the frog. “When and where will I meet her, at a party, in a bar, where?”
“No,” replied the psychic. “You’ll meet her next semester in her biology class!”
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The clock is ticking!
God has entrusted to our care many splendid gifts. And as our lives have unfolded, each of us has decided what’s worth doing with our gifts. We’ve said to ourselves, “Here’s where I’m going to invest my heart. Here’s where I’m going to spend my gifts.”
All of us make errors in judgment, but with the passage of time most of us begin to see things more and more as God sees them. We set good goals. We decide to share our gifts and to use them for worthy purposes.
But then comes the crucial question: Do our deeds really match our words? Psychologists tell us that we almost always judge others by what they actually do, but we usually judge ourselves by what we intended to do! And that means trouble: We’re “sitting ducks” for self-deception, mistaking good intentions for good deeds. Often, without recognizing it, we’re our very own “spin-doctors.”
So let’s check our reality. Whom do we say we love? Our spouses, our kids, our parents, our friends? So, if we love them, what kind of world do we make for them when we’re together? What kind of time do we give them? Real time or just leftovers?
What do we bring to them? Joy and peace, or anxiety, frustration, and depression? What do we take away from them? Peace, joy, self-confidence? If you’re not sure of the answers, just ask. They’ll tell you!
Few of us are exactly the persons we say and think we are. For example, we say and think we’re courteous. Check a video of your driving! We say and think we’re serious about being here at mass. Well I’m not going to touch that one; but just think what being here wholeheartedly for the full 30-45 minutes would look like. How do we measure up?
The questions could go on and on, but the point is simple: As Jesus says in the Gospel, God wants to give us the kingdom. But we have to help him by wisely and wholeheartedly using the time and the gifts he’s given us. “When much is given a man, much is required of him.” Not just words and good intention, but deeds. Always deeds!
As Froggie found out, the clock is ticking for us all. So isn’t it time to check our reality and realign our deeds to match our words? It is time; it’s always time. And the Lord will help us. He always does!
