“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.” (Luke 12:42-44)

The major theme for this 19^th Sunday in the Ordinary Time focuses on the meaning of our Christian discipleship, which requires our trusting faith in God’s promises and our vigilant preparedness in all aspects of our lives. The readings emphasize “what” and “how” we should believe in God, exhort us to live by faith in Christ and hope for His future coming and exercise our Christian charity at all time in our community, the Church and in our daily lives.

In the ancient world, a disciple is a follower or adherent of a teacher. Discipleship is not the same as being a student in the modern sense. A disciple in the ancient biblical world actively imitates both the life and teaching of the master. A disciple does not merely attend lectures or read books, the disciple is required to interact with and imitate a real living person, the master. It is a deliberate apprenticeship which makes the fully formed disciple a living copy of the master.

Christian discipleship means being a dedicated follower of Jesus. A Christian disciple is a believer who follows Christ and then offers his own imitation of Christ as model for others to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1). A Christian disciple is first a believer of Christ who has exercised faith (Acts 2:38). This means a Christian disciple has experienced conversion and puts Jesus at the center of his/her life and participates in rites of Christian initiation. A fully developed Christian disciple is also a leader of others who attempts to pass on this faith to his followers, with the goal of repeating this process (1 Corinthians 4:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:2).

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to become authentic Christian disciples, to have faith in Christ and imitate Christ and do the works of mercy, to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God.  

How can we help each other be more authentic in our Christian discipleship, imitating Christ, vigilant and ready for the Lord’s second coming, praying constantly, listening attentively to God at all time, working for the Kingdom of God, fulfilling God’s will, serving others, seeing Jesus in the least of God’s people? 

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.