RESPONSIBLE LIVING
25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 19, 2010
Recently I was in India for my vacation. One of my neighbors invited me for a dinner. They prepared delicious dishes. I enjoyed it. The following day, however, he came to me requesting a favor. Was the dinner a bribe? This is election season in America. Big corporations are donating generously to the candidates. Each penny they donate is a kind of bait. People are very smart. They know how to use their resources for a better deal. Jesus uses a similar story to substantiate this point. Jesus praised the shrewdness of the steward, not his behavior (Luke 16:1-13). This particular steward offered a huge concession to his subordinates. He caught two fish with a single bait. He assured a place in their hearts as a compassionate boss. He also improved the image of his boss as he worked as his agent even though his employer has nothing to do with it. This steward put his boss in a predicament.
We are smart and shrewd. Jesus challenges us to use our wisdom and intelligent for things that matters eternally. We have resources at our disposals and people who need our help are at our sight. Possessions and material resources are not bad in itself. They can be a great blessing and a source of eternal life for people who spend it wisely. Amos (Amos 8:4-7)in the first reading talks about the potentials of wealth in shaping one’s life. Wealth is a blessing if used for the good of the poor. Zacchaeus found salvation in the sharing of his wealth. God condemned the rich man because of his insensitivity to the poor Lazarus. The poor are the sacrament of the rich.
Jesus invites us to live wisely. These are the marks of a wise man:
GRATITUDE: “We must be a people of gratitude because all that we are and all that we have belongs to God and they are gifted to us” (Mother Theresa). How do I live a life of gratitude? “Using our blessings and talents for the purposes intended by God is the best expression of gratitude.” (St. .Augustine)
ACCOUNTABILITY: Wise Men take care of God given treasures and talents responsibly and honestly. In fact, God expects that. The parable of the Talents (Mt 25: 14-30) beautifully expresses this notion. The compassionate and forgiving God became impatient when he discovered that one of his servants buried and wasted his talents. His frustration was so intense that he took away the talent from the irresponsible steward and gave it to the other two who handled them diligently.
COMMUNITY CONCERN The Wise Men invest their blessings for the wellbeing of the community. “God give us gifts and talents with a mission. Every blessing is a responsibility. Every blessing has a corresponding need to address” (John Paul II). If you read the story of Abraham, this idea becomes clearer. God called Abraham and said, “I will bless you so that you may bring blessings to the nations.”(Gn12:2-3). When God blessed Abraham, He placed a task along with that. Since every blessing is a responsibility, if we fail to use it (talents), then we are defeating the purposes of God. Every blessing comes with a mission. Naturally, towards the end of our life, we need to give an account of how we fulfilled that mission. We need to prove our credibility and accountability by living our blessings the way God wanted. Ultimately, we are going to be our own judges by the way we lived our life (Mt 25:31-46).
The question is how do I use my gifts, namely, time, talents and treasure with all its forms, to build up the body of Christ in my area? What role am I playing in my parish? This is an important question, because as Cardinal Roger says, “Ministry in the church is not an option but an obligation and a privilege. This obligation is coming directly from our baptismal call.” Many people make excuses saying, “I don’t have any talents…I am Shy…and so forth.” Prophet Jeremiah raised the same excuse. He said, “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God replied, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” If God is with us what is not possible? If you ask people who are in ministry, I am sure; they will share the same view.
Let me conclude this reflection quoting from Pope Pius the X. “What you are is God’s gift to you, and what you become is your gift to God.” Let us show God our gratitude, accountability and community concern in action, by being responsible and accountable stewards.
25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER 19, 2010
Recently I was in India for my vacation. One of my neighbors invited me for a dinner. They prepared delicious dishes. I enjoyed it. The following day, however, he came to me requesting a favor. Was the dinner a bribe? This is election season in America. Big corporations are donating generously to the candidates. Each penny they donate is a kind of bait. People are very smart. They know how to use their resources for a better deal. Jesus uses a similar story to substantiate this point. Jesus praised the shrewdness of the steward, not his behavior (Luke 16:1-13). This particular steward offered a huge concession to his subordinates. He caught two fish with a single bait. He assured a place in their hearts as a compassionate boss. He also improved the image of his boss as he worked as his agent even though his employer has nothing to do with it. This steward put his boss in a predicament.
We are smart and shrewd. Jesus challenges us to use our wisdom and intelligent for things that matters eternally. We have resources at our disposals and people who need our help are at our sight. Possessions and material resources are not bad in itself. They can be a great blessing and a source of eternal life for people who spend it wisely. Amos (Amos 8:4-7)in the first reading talks about the potentials of wealth in shaping one’s life. Wealth is a blessing if used for the good of the poor. Zacchaeus found salvation in the sharing of his wealth. God condemned the rich man because of his insensitivity to the poor Lazarus. The poor are the sacrament of the rich.
Jesus invites us to live wisely. These are the marks of a wise man:
GRATITUDE: “We must be a people of gratitude because all that we are and all that we have belongs to God and they are gifted to us” (Mother Theresa). How do I live a life of gratitude? “Using our blessings and talents for the purposes intended by God is the best expression of gratitude.” (St. .Augustine)
ACCOUNTABILITY: Wise Men take care of God given treasures and talents responsibly and honestly. In fact, God expects that. The parable of the Talents (Mt 25: 14-30) beautifully expresses this notion. The compassionate and forgiving God became impatient when he discovered that one of his servants buried and wasted his talents. His frustration was so intense that he took away the talent from the irresponsible steward and gave it to the other two who handled them diligently.
COMMUNITY CONCERN The Wise Men invest their blessings for the wellbeing of the community. “God give us gifts and talents with a mission. Every blessing is a responsibility. Every blessing has a corresponding need to address” (John Paul II). If you read the story of Abraham, this idea becomes clearer. God called Abraham and said, “I will bless you so that you may bring blessings to the nations.”(Gn12:2-3). When God blessed Abraham, He placed a task along with that. Since every blessing is a responsibility, if we fail to use it (talents), then we are defeating the purposes of God. Every blessing comes with a mission. Naturally, towards the end of our life, we need to give an account of how we fulfilled that mission. We need to prove our credibility and accountability by living our blessings the way God wanted. Ultimately, we are going to be our own judges by the way we lived our life (Mt 25:31-46).
The question is how do I use my gifts, namely, time, talents and treasure with all its forms, to build up the body of Christ in my area? What role am I playing in my parish? This is an important question, because as Cardinal Roger says, “Ministry in the church is not an option but an obligation and a privilege. This obligation is coming directly from our baptismal call.” Many people make excuses saying, “I don’t have any talents…I am Shy…and so forth.” Prophet Jeremiah raised the same excuse. He said, “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God replied, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you.” If God is with us what is not possible? If you ask people who are in ministry, I am sure; they will share the same view.
Let me conclude this reflection quoting from Pope Pius the X. “What you are is God’s gift to you, and what you become is your gift to God.” Let us show God our gratitude, accountability and community concern in action, by being responsible and accountable stewards.
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