Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck
A reflection on the Gospel of Luke 25:35-40
My Brothers and Sisters,
As we gather in prayer today, we find ourselves sitting beside our Lord Jesus – unafraid to open our hearts and share everything: our joys, our struggles, our plans, our prayers. In this sacred dialogue, if we listen closely, we hear His gentle voice: “My son, my daughter, I love you so very much and am always with you. Come and be with me, and together our hearts shall become one; one with our Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit.” These words don’t just comfort us—they remind us of God’s generosity, and they point to something even bigger: great things are in store for those who are ready and faithful.
Called to Readiness: “Gird Your Loins and Light Your Lamps”
In today’s Gospel from Luke 12:35-40, Jesus teaches us about readiness and faithfulness. He uses a story, as He so often does, to make His point clear. He tells His disciples—and that’s us, too—“Gird your loins and light your lamps.” In plain language, that means: get ready, and stay awake. Back then, people wore long robes, and to work or move quickly, they’d tuck them in. Lighting lamps meant being alert, even when the world around you was asleep.
The parable is simple: servants are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding. They don’t know the hour he’ll return, so they have to be ready all the time. And if they are—if they hear the knock and open the door right away—they’re called “blessed.” Here’s the surprising part: the master is so pleased, he actually serves his servants. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.” Imagine that: God Himself serving us, if we are faithful and ready.
The Unexpected Hour: Jesus’ Warning and Promise
Then Jesus gives another image: a thief in the night. If you knew when a thief was coming, you’d stay awake. But you don’t, so you have to be prepared all the time. Jesus ends with a warning and a promise: “the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.” He’s talking about Himself—about His return at the end of time, or even just the moment God calls us home.
Spiritual Readiness: Living the Paschal Mystery Today
So what does this mean for us, right now? The message is timeless. Jesus is urging us to live with spiritual readiness. To be a Christian is to be awake, to be ready, to live each day as if God could show up and ask us, “How are you living? Are you loving? Are you serving?” These questions go straight to the heart of the Paschal Mystery—when Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to save us. Through Him, our sins are forgiven, and we are invited into a new covenant: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love and serve our neighbor as Jesus loves us.
Living in this new covenant means trusting God as children trust their Father. It means obeying Him in the every day, not just the big moments. It looks like telling the truth, forgiving someone who hurt you, helping a neighbor, praying when you don’t feel like it, resisting temptations that try to pull you away from God’s love. It’s about building up the Body of Christ—right here, in our community, in our relationships.
Trust, Light, and Living with Intentional Faith
This Gospel teaches us about trust and hope. The master serving the servants shows us what kind of God we have: one who is generous beyond our wildest expectations. It’s not about fear—it’s about trust. Our Father in heaven has great things in store for those who are ready and faithful.
We’re also called to live in the light. When Jesus says, “light your lamps,” He’s telling us to let our faith shine—to project God’s love from our hearts to the world around us. Don’t hide your faith; let it show in your words, your actions, your choices—even when it’s hard, even when it’s inconvenient. Live with the kind of integrity that means you’re the same person in private as you are in public. Let your Christianity be transparent.
This Gospel is a call to intention. Don’t drift through life, or put off the good you know you should do. To “obey our LORD God” is to be ready, and the Holy Spirit will nudge us in that direction. We love, we serve, we forgive, we seek God’s love every day through Jesus—so that whenever He “knocks,” we’re ready to open the door and receive His blessings.
Remember the words of Jesus: “I love you, my son, my daughter, and am always with you.” Go out with love. Give praise, thanksgiving, and glory to God always. Love and serve those around you, just as Jesus has taught us.
Amen.
About Our Guest Blogger
Blessed Carlo Acutis once said, “Not me, but God.” His words echo deeply in my own spiritual life. This blog is not about me, but about the work of the Holy Spirit. I choose to remain anonymous because the voice behind these reflections isn’t what matters — the One speaking through them is.
I am a lifelong Catholic with a deep love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the quiet ways God speaks through everyday life. Live the Eucharist was born from my desire to share how the Gospel and the Eucharist shape not just my Sundays, but every step of the journey.
My hope is that these reflections bless you, challenge you, and draw you closer to Jesus — truly present in the Eucharist and profoundly present in your daily life.
