Memorial of Saint Monica

I think the question for us is: what is drunkenness in this scene? What does it mean to eat and drink with drunkards? This servant was placed in charge of the household, responsible for caring for everyone within it. The Gospel specifically mentions his distributing food at the proper time. Although the master is away, he still cares for his people, and he entrusts someone to make sure they receive everything they need.

But as the master’s trip seems to go on and he does not return, the servant begins to misuse what has been entrusted to him. He eats and drinks with drunkards—that is, he abuses those gifts. He uses them for his own purposes, selfishly. He thinks only of himself, no longer serving the rest of the household but simply serving himself. Once he begins to live that way, he forgets everything else he is supposed to do.

We can assume that such a household will fall apart. Some of the other servants may go hungry; they may no longer receive what they need. Then, when the master returns, we understand his anger. He placed this person in charge, and when he comes back, nothing is working as it should. Of course he will punish the one he trusted.

That will always be a temptation when we are placed in charge or given responsibility for others. The one person who is supposed to check on us and make sure we are doing things rightly has not been around for a while. We begin to feel tempted to use everything however we want, for our own selfish purposes. That is a real temptation both in the spiritual life and in the world itself.

At the heart of this parable is an image of the world. God gives the world to us and asks us to be responsible for all of it—not just our own little piece, but all of it and everyone in it. He creates it for the good of all humanity. The goods of this world are meant to be distributed to everyone for their needs and for their good.

But in our selfishness, because our master has been delayed and has not returned visibly to punish our misconduct, we begin to think only about ourselves. We misuse those resources, caring only for ourselves and perhaps those closest to us. Many begin to go hungry. So there is a social image here: we are meant to care for one another. We are meant to work actively to make sure everyone has what they need.

There is also a spiritual image. In our own lives, we so readily begin to think only about ourselves. We get so caught up in our busyness and everything going on around us that we forget the spiritual life. We forget that everything given to us is to be used in the service of God and for the good of others. Even the spiritual gifts and insights we receive are meant to help us draw others to holiness and nourish them in the spiritual life.

So it is important to look at our lives and ask: Have we allowed that selfishness to creep in? Do we think only of ourselves when we wake up? Do we think only of the people immediately before us? Do we recognize that all the gifts given to us across the entire world are meant for everyone?

We are to work actively to make sure people’s needs are met, that the spiritual gifts we have received are shared, and that everyone has access to them. In this way, people can receive what they need both physically and spiritually. They can come to know our Lord and see in him the good master presented in the parable.

If we are not doing these things, if we have fallen away, it is not too late. That is why the Lord opens with the words, “Stay awake.” We can simply wake up. Remember that he is returning. We will give him an account of all our choices, and he will want to know whether we squandered the resources he gave us or used them for the benefit of everyone.