I’m going to apologize in advance because today’s reflection is a long one, probably a little less than 10 minutes to read. I was traveling this morning, and as always, God’s timing is perfect. I had some extra time to pray, and I really needed it because today’s Gospel took me in several different directions. I spent about an hour and a half wrestling with it, and I think you’ll understand why as you read along. So bear with me on this one. My hope is that something from my prayer this morning might help you in your own journey to grow closer to God.

Jesus tells us, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48).

This is one of those passages that has always spoken to me. And I have to admit, it brings out two very different reactions.

The first is, Oh my goodness, Lord, more? Really?

But the second is excitement. Because what a blessing it is to be entrusted with something by God! What an incredible privilege that He would give us gifts, talents, abilities, and opportunities to participate in His work.

I see something similar in the business world all the time. Someone does a good job, proves themselves capable, and what happens? We give them more responsibility. We trust them with more because they’ve demonstrated that they can handle what they’ve already been given.

And I think there’s something beautiful about that when we consider our relationship with God. He gives us gifts, not simply for ourselves, but to be used in His service.

But here’s where I started wrestling with today’s Gospel.

Just because someone asks us to do more doesn’t necessarily mean God is asking us to do more.

That’s a difficult distinction.

There are so many good things we can do. Opportunities to serve, to lead, to help others, to grow spiritually, to learn more about our faith. And when those opportunities come along, particularly when they’re genuinely good things, it’s easy to assume that saying yes must be the right answer.

But is it?

I’ve been thinking about how the devil doesn’t necessarily have to tempt us with something obviously sinful to pull us away from God. Sometimes all he has to do is keep us busy doing good things.

Think about that for a moment.

We can become so occupied doing good things that we neglect the very things God has already entrusted to us.

And that’s where today’s Gospel started taking on a different meaning for me.

Maybe being entrusted with much isn’t simply about accepting more responsibility. Maybe it’s also about being a good steward of what we’ve already received.

God has entrusted us with our families, our work, our relationships, our talents, our time, and even our bodies.

I’ll use myself as an example. I don’t exercise nearly enough. I know I should. God has given me this body, and I have a responsibility to care for it. Yet somehow, with everything else going on, exercise is one of the first things that gets pushed aside.

And this isn’t just something I made up. The Catechism of the Catholic Church actually teaches that life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God and that we must take reasonable care of them (CCC 2288).

I think that’s something we can easily overlook. We spend so much time thinking about how we’re serving God through our work, our ministries, and our responsibilities that we sometimes forget that caring for ourselves is part of that stewardship, too.

Now, I can make a pretty convincing argument that I’m busy doing important things. And many of them genuinely are important.

But does that excuse neglecting something else God has entrusted to me?

I don’t think it does.

And that’s what makes discernment so difficult.

We have to distinguish between the responsibilities God is actually asking us to carry and the responsibilities we take upon ourselves simply because we can.

But I also want to be careful here. Because discernment isn’t about finding excuses to do less or avoiding things that are difficult.

Sometimes God really is asking us to do more.

Maybe there’s something He’s been asking us to do, and we’ve been avoiding it because it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or simply requires more effort than we want to give.

We can’t use discernment as an excuse to take it easy when God is asking us to sacrifice.

But the opposite can also be true.

Sometimes we’re so quick to say yes to every good opportunity that we don’t stop to ask whether it’s actually what God wants us to do.

And that’s where I think we have to be especially careful. Because the question isn’t whether something is good. The question is whether it’s what God is asking of us.

And this brings me back to our first reading.

St. Paul speaks about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to him. He recognizes that he has been entrusted with a mission, but he also recognizes where that mission comes from.

It’s God’s grace, not Paul’s greatness.

And through Christ, Paul reminds us, we have access to God with confidence through faith in Him.

That matters to me because I know how easy it is to start believing that everything depends on me. That if I don’t do it, it won’t get done. That somehow I have to carry all these responsibilities through my own ability.

But that’s not what Paul is teaching us.

The work belongs to God. The grace comes from God. And whatever He entrusts to us, we’re supposed to carry it with Him, not apart from Him.

Even today’s Psalm seems to fit. “God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid.”

I wrote those words down this morning because confidence and being unafraid are things I want to hold on to.

I have a pretty heavy workload right now. And while it certainly can be stressful, I generally believe God has blessed me with the ability to handle a lot without becoming overwhelmed by it.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t need His help.

In fact, perhaps that’s exactly why I need to keep coming back to Him. Because the more capable we become, the easier it may be to start relying on ourselves instead of His grace.

I’ve been praying about my workload lately, and I don’t necessarily believe the answer is to walk away from the responsibilities I’ve been given. I believe many of them are part of how God is calling me to serve Him.

But I also know I can’t carry everything at once.

I keep coming back to an image that has helped me in prayer: picking up one rock at a time and placing it on the Church.

I don’t have to build the entire Church today. That’s God’s work, not mine. I just have to be faithful with the rock He’s placed in front of me.

And perhaps that’s the important part.

Making sure it’s actually the rock He’s asking me to carry.

Because if I’m so busy picking up every rock I see, I might miss the one He entrusted to me in the first place.

And none of this is easy.

Following Christ isn’t easy. Pursuing holiness requires sacrifice. It requires carrying crosses, surrendering our own desires, and sometimes letting go of things we genuinely enjoy.

Sometimes it means saying yes when we’d rather say no. And sometimes it means having the humility to say no when we’d really like to say yes.

I don’t think we ever completely figure it out.

Discernment is a lifelong pursuit. What God asks of us in one season of life may be very different from what He asks in another. Something we’re genuinely called to do today may be something we’re called to set aside tomorrow.

That’s why we have to keep praying, keep listening, and keep asking whether we’re following God’s will or simply our own.

And perhaps there’s another lesson here. Being faithful doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything perfectly. It means continuing to turn toward God, recognizing where we’ve fallen short, and asking for the grace to do better.

Today’s Gospel reminds me that much has been entrusted to me. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.

But it also reminds me that I will be accountable for how I’ve cared for those gifts, not simply for how many responsibilities I’ve accepted.

So my prayer today is this:

Lord, give me the strength to carry what You have entrusted to me. Give me the wisdom to recognize what isn’t mine to carry. Give me the humility to recognize that I can’t do any of this without You. And give me the courage to pick something up when You ask, or put something down when doing so allows me to serve You more faithfully.

Because ultimately, holiness isn’t about how much we accomplish.

It’s about how faithfully we love God through what He’s entrusted to us.

And while that journey certainly isn’t easy, I believe with all my heart that it’s worth it.

I pray you get the graces you need today.

Keep up the good fight.

I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:2-12 | Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 | Luke 12:39-48