that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Are we living as if the temporary things of this world can give us lasting happiness? Are we building houses on sand and expecting to weather the storms of time? In what are we investing ourselves? Practically speaking, what do we do with our time and resources? Are we trying to get more out of the pleasures of this world than they are meant to give us? When we forget that our time here is short, that our master is coming again, we risk becoming selfish and indifferent to others.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’
and begins to beat his fellow servants,
and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day
and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
We want to see things from the master's point of view. His purpose for us is that we "distribute to them their food at the proper time". When lose this perspective the shortness of life becomes a fearful thing. We become those who are "held in slavery by their fear of death." We try to solve this fear with temporary pleasures. We jump from one amusement to the next trying to string them together so continuously that death never comes to mind. But there are always cracks in this armor. Instead, let us cling to the eternal perspective.
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
If we do this, if we stay awake, the LORD himself will make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so as to strengthen our hearts to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. After all, what else endures? This is absolutely the perspective which allows Saint Monica to continue to pray for Augustine long after most anyone else would give up.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
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