Tuesday, XXIX Week of Ordinary Time
(Luke 12:35-38)
It is more than a coincidence that later in this Gospel according to Luke Jesus asks his disciples which of them would serve at table a servant who comes in from the fields. Perhaps none of them at that moment could answer positively, but Jesus tells us here that he intends to do almost exactly that at the end of time. Luke shows that Jesus is truly the servant of the servants of God. A pastor at a large urban church tries to imitate Jesus by cooking a sumptuous Seder Supper in Holy Week for his parishioners.
Jesus will attend to those whom he finds waiting for his return with burning lamps and loins girded. It is easy enough to understand what he means by “burning lamps” although we should remember that this image is used in the gospels to express having done good works. “Girded loins,” however, is not so easily intelligible to us. It refers to wearing one’s loose-fitting outer garment tied at the waist so that one may work unimpeded. More and more, Catholics are waiting on the Lord by praying before the Blessed Sacrament in the middle of the night. This is a worthy and time-honored custom. Rather than replace, it should assist this gospel’s more general vigil of serving others’ needs.
