Scripture
Luke 12: 35-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Ignatian Reflection
The Gratitude of God
It is easy and common, normal, to believe that our relationship with God is one of service and gratitude and praise to God alone.
It is, isn’t it? If so, we can place an unfair burden on ourselves, forgetting that God also labors to nurture and sustain all of God’s creation, including you and me. In this way, we are called to be collaborators – co-labor-ers – with God in all his works.
This Gospel passage gives the image of the master putting on an apron and serving his servants, giving them the care that the world’s expectations would instead have placed on them. There is an echo here of the narrative in John’s Gospel of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper (John 13:1-17).
There is a catch, though: the line, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” We need to be vigilant: focused, attentive, and ready for his coming. There is another catch: be ready for God to surprise you! As the master arrives in his own time, he also surprises his servants in his own way. Likewise, God enjoys surprising us.
In part, our diligence is built upon the practices of faith, hope, and love. But it also depends on our flexibility and willingness to be open to God coming in surprising ways and times – his ways and his time – not my way and time. One regular way to practice this is with the Our Father prayer. Though we say, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” how does my life reflect the attitude of “my will be done on earth…”? Let us let God be God, including being our God of surprises.
—Fr. Glen Chun, SJ, a priest of the Midwest Province, is community minister of Bellarmine House of Studies in St. Louis.
Ignatian Prayer
Oct 22, 2024
Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the Glory, forever.
—Our Father
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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