Toilet Paper Shortage | October 21, 2015

October 21, 2015

I wouldn’t say I’m the world’s worst procrastinator (or I guess I should say the world’s best procrastinator), but I have been known to completely run out of toilet paper in my house at the most unfortunate times because I was not on top of it. I am famous for showing up to my friend’s houses and walking out the door with a roll of toilet paper in my purse. I am jealous of those people that have their cupboards stocked with things like extra you know food, toiletries, batteries, flashlights, and all those good things that would help you survive a nuclear holocaust. Let’s face it, the ¾ of a bottle of wine on my counter, package of hot dogs and vanilla ice cream in the freezer, and assortment of hot sauces in the fridge are not going to keep me alive for very long. When it comes to preparing for natural disasters, I am undeniably inept. I went to the store last night in desperate need of toilet paper and walked out with coffee and vanilla ice cream. I procrastinate and don’t really plan ahead with silly domestic matters like extra batteries and TP, but the real question is, do I procrastinate in matters of the heart?

If I’m being honest, I definitely do on some level for example confession has been on my list of things to do for months now and I still have not managed to get there. Confession and toilet paper are both extremely necessary for obvious reasons and yet, I somehow manage to put them on the bottom of my priority list (hee hee, the pun!!). While I get up at the crack of dawn to pray daily, and ingest a healthy dose of scripture regularly, and I praise God in my work and in my free time, I still can always manage to do better. I know better and so I must do better. Today’s gospel is specifically meant for those of us considered leaders in our faith and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you are reading this blog, yep, YOU are a leader in faith.

Jesus sets up the parable like this, “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Peter, assuming the leadership role, asks, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” It’s not really a loaded question, but Jesus definitely uses the opportunity to give a personalized lesson to the men that would eventually establish the universal church. He says that leaders are responsible for providing food for their followers at the proper time and blessed are they when the Master finds them doing so, and boo when they are found NOT doing so.  I think a lot of times I think, well I still have time to get it right and all that really matters is that I have it together when I actually meet God face to face, however, I need to remember that the way I live my life will be the way that I also come before God. I better start best practices now, which means serving others, in the proper time, and the proper time always means NOW.

Jesus is setting the Apostle’s up for the practicum of this lesson, which is when he washes their feet at the Last Supper, just four days away. He tells them what makes a good leader and then he shows them. Once we have been told what the Father’s will is and once we have been shown how to live out the Father’s will, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” This sentence tends to make people choose ignorance over knowledge or following over leading. It seems daunting and just a failure waiting to happen, however, if we look at the sentence, Jesus clearly tells us that leaders are chosen and trusted by God. The mere exercise of being chosen automatically empowers us to shine and add being trusted on top of that, well that is the icing on the cake. We will behave according to our level of preparation and the only way to prepare is to plan, practice, and proclaim. Planning requires thought and knowledge of the possibilities and comes from listening and observing. Practice comes from actually living the call that we have been given and practice always implies that it is not yet perfected, so keep trying. Proclaiming stands on a solid foundation of well practiced plans. We can only preach what we truly know and believe, and that comes from planning and practice.

Strong leaders are hard to catch off guard. They are well practiced and ready for almost any situation. They understand the value in maintaining integrity, even when the boss is not looking. Jesus is instructing the Apostles and us to be well planned, and practiced. If you have ever run out of toilet paper, you know the feeling of dread, embarrassment, and complete foolishness, not to mention your pants are usually around your ankles making the situation all the more humiliating. I don’t know about you, but I would rather meet Jesus while he is sitting on his heavenly throne and not while I am sitting on the porcelain throne without any toilet paper. Prepare | Practice | Proclaim and you’ll be ready for the Master to come.

Reading 1 ROM 6:12-18

Brothers and sisters:
Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies
so that you obey their desires.
And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin
as weapons for wickedness,
but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life
and the parts of your bodies to God
as weapons for righteousness. 
For sin is not to have any power over you,
since you are not under the law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law
but under grace? 
Of course not!
Do you not know that if you present yourselves
to someone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death,
or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin,
you have become obedient from the heart
to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.
Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 124:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8

R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us, 
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive;
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us 
a prey to their teeth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers’ snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Alleluia MT 24:42A, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly. 
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”