Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 12:35-38
Be Prepared, For the Lord Is Near

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be watchful: “Gird your loins and light your lamps. Be like servants who await their master’s return.” These words are not meant to frighten us but to awaken us. The Lord praises the servant who is ready. In the time of Jesus, workers would tuck up their long robes under a belt so they could work freely. And lamps had to be trimmed and replenished to keep burning. These images are a call to us: stay awake, stay ready, live in such a way that when God knocks, we can open to Him with joy.

What does this readiness mean?

First, to be girded and lamp lit. To be ready for service is to make wise choices. So often we get caught up in what seems urgent and neglect what is truly important—our relationships, our prayer, our vocation. Life is short, and no one knows the hour when the summons will come. Each day is a gift to choose well, to live with purpose, and to finish the work entrusted to us.

Second, to be open to him. God comes to us continually—through people, through events, through the quiet voice of the Spirit. If our hearts are hardened by bitterness or pride, we may miss Him. But if we allow him in, He can heal wounds, renew hope, and make us new.

Third, to be confident of his love. The most astonishing promise in today’s Gospel is this: the Master will serve those servants who are ready. Imagine it—the Lord of all stooping to wait on us! This is the heart of our faith: God’s love is not distant or cold; it is tender, watchful, and close.

So let us live ready—not in fear, but in hope. Trim the lamps, keep the heart open, and trust that when the Master comes, we will find ourselves embraced by his love.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025