I WAS AFRAID OF YOU…

Revelation 4:1-11 
1 After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this.”2 At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne!
3 And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.4 Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.
5 From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder, and before the throne burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God;6 and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.
8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,11″Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created.”

Luke 19:11-28 

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingly power and then return.13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’
14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’15 When he returned, having received the kingly power, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.
16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin;21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’
22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?’
24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’)
26 ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.'”28 And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

MEDITATION 

St JOHN describe a worship scene where those with white robes; the liberated saints, find themselves in the heavenly throne worshipping the Lord God Almighty, accompanied by four heavenly angels who permanently extol and worship God.

Johns revelation comport with the structure, architecture and liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The seven torches of fire (v5) accords with the seven burning candles:- one on either side of the Tabernacle and the ambo situated on the left hand side where the Word of God (Gospel) is delivered from. Two candles on the altar of sacrifice and finaly the singular Paschal candle situated in the sanctuary, To be sure, the light of Christ that is present in the Tabernacle, was given us or our parents or sponsor when we were borne anew in the ressurection of Christ at our baptism. During the Mass we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses(v8), those saintly men and women who have gone before. Heb 12:1

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lords parable comes on the back of Him sharing a meal with Zacchaeus who signed up to be a disciple vowing to give away most of his wealth if nessesary. Today’s parable has nothing to do with profiteering, but more to do with living and doing the message of Christ authentically, upon partaking of the feast of the Holy Eucharistic banquet! 

The bread of life is nessesary soul food that fortify us to harvest more souls for His kingdom. To say we have no time because we are too busy, or to appeal to our lack of talent or knowledge is to sidestep our call to evangelize the culture. To be sure, it is like being a parasite who feed off the goodness of Christ in the eucharist whilst doing zilts to expand His kingdom. Christ makes it very clear that He is a “severe man,” implying that our negligence to serve Him by serving others will have deadly consequences. Let us not allow fear of any kind to prevent us from living the Goodness and joy of God to charitable and forthrightly evangelize the lukewarm, secular sugar coated culture. 

LET US PRAY: Psalms 150:1-6 

1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his exceeding greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.