< <  

Wednesday, November 20, 1996

  > >
Revelation 4:1-11
Psalm 150
Luke 19:11-28

View Readings
Similar Reflections

highly responsible?

"The moral is: whoever has will be given more, but the one who has not will lose the little he has." —Luke 19:26

The Lord has given us gifts with which to serve Him and His people. If we obey to the Lord and use these gifts, we will bear much fruit. In response, the Lord will give us more gifts, fruit, and responsibility. "The moral is: whoever has will be given more" (Lk 19:26).

Another Biblical principle is: "When much has been given a man, much will be required of him. More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted" (Lk 12:48). The more God gives us, the more responsibilities we have. If we are faithful in fulfilling our responsibilities, we will be given more, so we then will have even more responsibilities. If we are faithful to the Lord, this escalation of receiving God's gifts and responsibilities goes on indefinitely.

Therefore, today you should have more responsibilities to serve the Lord than at any other time in your life. On the day you die, you should reach the zenith of your responsibilities on earth to serve the Lord.

This message of escalating responsibilities is not welcomed as good news by a culture which glorifies leisure and avoids responsibility, commitment, and self-sacrifice. However, those who have decided to live a life of love and thanksgiving welcome ever greater responsibilities and see them as more and new opportunities to express love and thanksgiving to God. Love to be ever more responsible.

Prayer:  "O Lord our God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power! For You have created all things; by Your will they came to be and were made!" (Rv 4:11)

Promise:  "Come up here and I will show you what must take place in time to come." —Rv 4:1

Praise:  "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, He Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come!" (Rv 4:8)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 2, 1996


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 3, 1996