Is it not fitting that Jesus asks us to be prepared for his coming, since he himself came into this world to prepare us to be citizens of heaven? When Jesus calls us to be faithful and ready servants, we encounter a beautiful insight: he himself is the true Servant, always ready to welcome and receive us into his presence.
Today’s Gospel reveals Jesus’ deep longing for us to become like him and, above all, to allow ourselves to be loved by him. Through his love, he invites us to remain awake and ready for his coming. As Saint Paul writes to the Ephesians, Jesus has broken down the wall of separation and opened the way for us to become citizens of heaven. We are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.
His love for us is so great that his gaze is ever upon us. In this sense, our preparation may be as simple, and as profound, simply to gaze upon God in every circumstance, trusting that, even when we are unaware, he is caring for us and guiding all things. Blessed are we, servants, when we attend to his loving gaze and allow his longing to become our own.
Rev. George Meze, SJ
I am Fr. Vilezo George Meze SJ, originally from India. I am doing my EdD studies and serve as a spiritual director with Campus Ministry. Before coming to the U.S., I spent a decade working in school administration among Indigenous communities in Northeast India.
