Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
REFLECTION
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
This August, PAPA held its election conference, and three new officers were elected to help lead PAPA forward. Beginning in January 2027, they will be entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the apostolate and remaining faithful to pray for priests, to serve and bless them, and to encourage many others to join in praying for the sanctification of our priests.
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to “stay awake” and speaks of the faithful and prudent servant whom the master places in charge of his household. But it also applies to every member of PAPA. This is a beautiful image for Christian leadership. Leadership is not primarily an honor or a position of authority; it is a trust given by the Master.
The new officers of PAPA have been chosen because they are believed to be trustworthy, faithful, competent, and committed to carrying forward the work that has been entrusted to PAPA. Yet Jesus reminds us that faithfulness is not something demonstrated only on the day we are chosen. It must be lived day after day—in prayer, decisions, service, sacrifice, and perseverance.
Every member of PAPA also has the responsibility for the apostolate, not only its officers. Each member has been entrusted with something by God: a prayer to offer, a priest to encourage, a sacrifice to make, a gift to share, another person to invite into the mission of praying for priests and helping out when needed. With a smile!
As PAPA prepares for this transition in leadership, perhaps the question Jesus places before all of us is: “Am I being a faithful and prudent servant with what the Lord has entrusted to me?”
May the incoming officers be supported by our prayers and cooperation. And may every member remember that PAPA ultimately belongs to God. We are only its stewards, but He is the Master. When the Master comes, may He find us awake, faithful, working, praying, and carrying out the mission He has placed into our hands.
Vision of PAPA:
To see priests on fire for Jesus and His Church, the Body and Bride of Christ.
Mission of PAPA
"Go and make disciples of all nations; behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28: 18,20)
Congratulations to our new officers. May God Bless you, strengthen you, and make you faithful and prudent servants as you lead PAPA in carrying out the mission He has entrusted to us.
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