Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope
John Paul II
Luke 12:39-48
Be Loyal

Today’s Gospel presents us with the parable of the wise and unwise stewards. A steward, if he was faithful, brought order and life. If unfaithful, he abused his power and forgot that the master would surely return.

The unfaithful steward made two serious mistakes. First, he believed he could do whatever he pleased because the master was away. However, in truth, God is never absent. There is no part of our lives—whether public or private—where He is not present.

Second, he thought he had plenty of time to make amends, despite Jesus warning us to be ready because the Son of Man will come unexpectedly. The illusion of ‘tomorrow’—to forgive, pray, or change—may never come.

Here, three lessons shine through:
First, value time. Time is one of the greatest treasures given to us, and yet it slips through our hands so easily. We try to disguise its passing, but time is what allows us to learn, grow, and prepare. Don’t waste it. Use it well—for love, for service, for God.

Second, live each day as a gift. Death is certain, but the hour is unknown. So live today as if it were your first and your last—free from bitterness, free from complaint.

Third, be responsible. Life is not ours to own; we are stewards, administrators of what God has placed in our hands. Our talents, our relationships, our faith—they are entrusted to us. Let us not waste them on trivial things that bear no fruit but invest them in what gives life and hope to others.

St. John Paul II often said, “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.” Today, let us be loyal stewards, using our time wisely, opening the door of our lives to the Master who is always near.

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