Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 16: 1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’  
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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So many people work hard to put bread on the table. We spend our entire adult lives working, trying to get ahead, building a successful career, making a name for ourselves.

That’s a very good thing. It’s good to work hard, to be creative, to take initiative.

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That’s why Jesus praises the dishonest steward in the Gospel. 

Though he’s made several mistakes and wasted his master’s fortune, he devises a scheme to repay some of those debts while forging new relationships for the future.

He’s determined and creative. 

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Jesus challenges us to put that same type of effort into our spiritual lives – to be as determined to serve the Lord as we are to be successful.

For example, some men pride themselves on being good mechanics; they believe they can fix anything.

Jesus says to us today, “Brothers, are you as good at fixing the wounds in your family or the wounds in your own heart as you are at fixing your car?”

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Many women pride themselves on their ability to dress well or to turn their house into a tastefully decorated home.

“But sisters, are you as equally creative in cultivating Christian virtues – charity, patience, and forgiveness?”

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That’s the Gospel challenge – to be as determined to be a Saint as we are determined to be successful.

How, then, can we work a little more our spiritual lives today?

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Image credits: (1) Parable of the Unjust Steward, Dr. Brant Pitre (2) Crossroads Initiative (3) Spiritual Direction, Anne Solomon

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Gospel: Luke 15: 1-10

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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We all know the frustration of losing something – and the joy of finding it again.

Maybe it was a pair of sunglasses or car keys. Or something much more important – a child, a wedding ring, a winning lottery ticket.

Whenever we lose something, it controls all of our thoughts and takes all of our energy until we find it again.

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That’s the type of desperation described in today’s Gospel.

A shepherd loses a sheep.

A woman loses a coin.

That second example is particularly relatable. There are many reasons why this woman may have been searching for her coin.

But more than likely, that coin was the difference between her family starving or eating that day. For most people in Jesus’ day, a drachma – that little coin – was worth an entire day’s wage.

You can imagine how relieved – and joyful – that woman felt when she found it. 

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This is the type of joy we bring to God when we repent. The Lord isn’t focused on why we were lost; rather, that we’ve been found.

Am I in need of the Lord’s forgiveness? 

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“There will be rejoicing among the angels of God,” Jesus says, “over one sinner who repents.” You might say, over one coin that’s been found.

If we’ve been putting it off, perhaps it’s time to come home.

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Image credits: (1) JoshFults.com (2) Hampton Roads Church (3) Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt

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Saint Martin de Porres, whose feast day we celebrate today, lived in times much like ours. 

A native of Peru, he joined a local Dominican monastery at the age of 15, doing menial tasks to pay for his tuition. But his servant’s heart never left him.

He spent the final 25 years of his life caring for the sick and the dying.

When an epidemic broke out around him, for example, he went into the streets and welcomed the sick and homeless into the monastery.

He even carried a beggar covered with ulcers and sores into his room, offering him his bed.

Martin slept on the floor.

When one of his fellow monks, clearly uncomfortable with the presence of the sick around him, asked Martin why he insisted upon sharing his room with a man half-dead, Martin replied:

“Compassion, my dear brother, is preferable to cleanliness.”

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Martin’s example speaks clearly to all of the healthcare workers fighting on the frontlines – not only caring for COVID patients, but also those with cancer, the flu, heart conditions, and so on.

But what about the rest of us? How is the Lord inviting me to have a deeper sense of compassion on my neighbor?

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Maybe someone you love made a mistake and needs forgiveness.

Maybe a neighbor is overburdened and needs a helping hand.

Maybe a family member or a friend is confined to a nursing home and needs a phone call.

Or maybe we ourselves are in need of compassion.

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In every case, Martin reminds us that charity is preferable to selfishness; forgiveness is preferable to anger; humility is preferable to pride; and action is preferable to indifference.

Saint Martin de Porres, pray for us. 

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Image credits: (1) livewell.church (2) St. Martin Apostolate