The Freedom of Vigilance: Stewards of the Great Gift

Rom 6:12-18, Psalm: 123, Lk 12:39-48

Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On this Memorial of the great Saint John Paul II, a pope who tirelessly proclaimed the dignity of the human person, the Word of God speaks to us about the true nature of our freedom. It is not a freedom from all restraint, but a freedom for a glorious purpose—a freedom that finds its ultimate expression in loving service and vigilant stewardship.

Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, presents a radical idea: we are never truly independent. We are always under the sway of one master or another. “Do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness,” he urges. Before Christ, we were slaves to sin, which leads to death. But through Baptism, we have been transferred to a new ownership. “Present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life,” Paul says, “and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.” The astonishing conclusion is that we become “slaves to righteousness.” This is the paradox of the Gospel: we find perfect freedom by choosing to become obedient servants of God. Sin is the harsh master that pays a wage of death; righteousness is the loving Lord who gives the gift of eternal life.

This call to responsible freedom is powerfully illustrated in the Gospel. Jesus continues His teaching on vigilance with a parable about a steward left in charge of the household. The central warning is about the steward who, thinking “My master is delayed in coming,” begins to act wickedly, abusing the servants and indulging himself. Jesus says that servant will be punished severely, for “much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

We are those stewards. The “much” we have been entrusted with is the incredible gift of faith, the grace of redemption, and the truth of the Gospel. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ have set us free from the slavery of sin, but this freedom is not for our own indulgence. It is a freedom given for responsibility. We are to be vigilant, not because our Master is a cruel taskmaster, but precisely because He is so generous and trusting. He has given us everything. He has left us in charge of His household, the Church, and the mission of evangelization.

This is the very freedom that Saint John Paul II embodied and proclaimed. His personal motto, Totus Tuus (“Totally Yours”), expressed his complete self-giving to Mary, and through her, to Christ. He understood that his papal authority was not for personal power, but for service. He used his incredible gifts of intellect, communication, and pastoral love not for himself, but for the faithful stewardship of the Gospel. He called the Church to a New Evangelization, urging us, “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!” This is the cry of a vigilant steward, one who knew the Master could return at any hour and who wanted the household to be found in order, zealously at work.

The application for us is clear. We must examine our hearts. Are we using the freedom Christ won for us to serve ourselves, like the wicked steward? Or are we using it as “weapons for righteousness,” building up God’s kingdom? The comfort is that we do not do this alone. The same grace that justified us strengthens us for this vigilance.

Let us ask for the intercession of Saint John Paul II today. May he pray for us, that we may embrace the noble slavery of righteousness, that we may be faithful stewards of the great gifts we have received, and that we may live in joyful anticipation of the Master’s return, ready to welcome Him with hearts open wide. Amen.