Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 16: 1-13

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 the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’
The steward 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 are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

The Gospel of the Lord

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Countless studies have shown that parenting is stressful. Anyone here who is a parent doesn’t need a study to validate their feelings. All parents worry about the wellbeing of their child.

Parents can struggle with a range of issues from: how to manage their child’s tech and social media intake; to challenges with friends and peer groups; to questions about how scary the world around us can seem, especially with things like war and gun violence.

Adding to the stress of the entire family is the desire to optimize a child’s talents, academic success, and economic future. Sometimes striving for perfection leaves everyone feeling exhausted, burned out, and perpetually behind.

Yet all of this is rooted in the sincere desire to see your child succeed.

It’s a good desire, a holy desire. But this hope for achievement must also be balanced with finding spiritual growth – and thus a lasting foundation.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers a parable, praising a dishonest steward. 

Who was this man? Why would Jesus praise him? 

In the ancient world, wealthy landowners would hire a person to be in charge of their entire estate. Often this person was the highest ranking, and most trusted, slave.

Given the slave’s role and responsibilities, he lived with a surprising level of material and social comfort; he would’ve socialized with the wealthy and lived with prestige among his peers.

As a result, some enterprising young freemen would temporarily sell themselves to the wealthy in order to learn from their master, develop business contacts of their own, and chart their future. 

Such may have been the case in today’s Gospel. 

This shrewd servant has suffered a steep fall from grace, and he realizes his comfortable existence is in trouble; his master is about to fire him. Since he has no estate of his own, he must dig himself out of this hole… and quickly.

So, he devises a plan to have his master’s debts repaid. In doing so, he also lays the groundwork for his future, perhaps landing himself in a more plumb position.

Jesus does not praise him for his conniving ways; rather, he praises him for being shrewd, bold, and determined to save himself.

Qualities which we should apply – not only to our affairs in this world – but also to the spiritual life. Yet, the Lord laments just how infrequent this can be.

“The children of this world,” he says, “are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” 

Meaning, we can invest far more energy in being “successful” than we can in being faithful, holy, or friends with God.

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For example, it’s easier to scroll through social media than it is to page through the Gospels.

It’s easier to appear well dressed than it is to live virtuously.

It’s easier to fix a broken appliance than it is to fix a broken family.

It’s easier to drum up our grocery list than it is to identify our weaknesses… and work consistently on them.

It’s easier for a pastor to hum along in an active parish than it is to dig deep, to ask the hard questions, and to try to convert souls while expanding the reach of our nets.

Yet, if we had the same determination as that servant in today’s Gospel, then anything would be possible.

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Herin lies the heart, and real challenge, of today’s Gospel:

Do we put as much effort into our relationship with God as we do into our relationships in this world? Or do we take God for granted, valuing worldly success more than holiness?

How does our answer trickle down into the values of the next generation?

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We all know that material success never ultimately satisfies us. As Saint Augustine famously said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O LORD.” 

Yet how often we fail to put the Lord first.

It’s only when we become as determined to save our soul as this servant was to save himself that will we ever truly be at peace.

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Image credits: (1) Faith Gateway (2) The Guardian (3) The Jesuits

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Gospel: Luke 8: 1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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These three verses from Luke’s Gospel are filled with interesting, sometimes overlooked, details. 

First, Luke tells us, “Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another.” At first read, it’s easy to presume that’s what Jesus always did; he came to encounter, to preach, to heal, and to save.

But the reason why Jesus is journeying from one village to another is because he’s been thrown out of the synagogues. This initiates a new phase in his ministry whereby the mountains, the hills, and the sea serve as his pulpit. 

The weak and sinful are mesmerized by him, while the religious authorities are plotting his death.

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In addition to the Twelve Apostles, Luke tells us that “some women” were part of this travelling caravan. They all have one important thing in common: each was healed by Jesus.

Filled with gratitude for the Lord, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others, become Christ’s devotees, providing for him out of their own personal resources – food, shelter, and the comfort of their companionship. 

Some of these women will also stand faithfully with him at the Cross. I wonder if Jesus always knew that…

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What makes this band of women so interesting is how different they are. Mary Magdalene had “seven demons” cast out of her. Some say she was once mentally ill, even a prostitute. 

Meanwhile, Joanna, came from significant means and influence; she was the wife of King Herod’s “CEO.”

Seeing these two women come together reminds us of Christ’s ability to bring together very different people under a single cause, just as he did with the Apostles.

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So, what might these verses mean for us?

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As different as we may be – in age, experience, background – each of our hearts has been touched by Christ. That love for Jesus is what unites us. As Saint Paul says, “Bear with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” 

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Image credits: (1) The Faith Walk, Etsy (2) Pauca Verba (3) Women Walking with Jesus

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1 Timothy 4: 12-16

Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.

The Word of the Lord.

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On paper, Saint Paul’s accolades are impossible to repeat: 

The Risen Christ spoke to him; he helped write half of the New Testament; he was an Apostle; the greatest missionary of his age; and a man of exceptional spiritual and physical endurance.

But there’s one thing, in particular, that I find endearing. Although he likely had no children of his own, Paul had the tender heart of a father. 

He ordained a number of men to the priesthood, including Timothy, whom he refers to as his, “spiritual son.”

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In our first reading, we hear part a letter, which Paul writes to Timothy, revealing several important truths about their relationship.

First, Paul writes to encourage Timothy, who seems to be struggling in his faith. “Do not neglect the gift you have,” he says, “which was conferred on you with the imposition of my hands.”

We don’t know exactly why Timothy was struggling – it could be the effect of Paul’s absence, the weight of persecution, dryness in prayer, or burn out.

“I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day,” he says.

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Paul continues with tender-hearted affirmation, reminding Timothy that he follows in the footsteps of other faithful Christians, including his own grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, who came to faith before him.

Their faith, “dwells in you,” he says.

But Paul concludes by challenging Timothy – as I suppose as any father would – to, “bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

Such is the nature of a healthy father-son relationship: there is tenderness and affirmation, but also the encouragement to become the best version of yourself.

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I’d imagine Paul has the same fatherly love for each of us. While he assures us of his prayers, he also reminds us to work hard in the vineyard of the Lord.

So, how might I bear my share of the Gospel? What might I do for Jesus today?

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Image credits: (1) Dreamstime.com (2) Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentine de Boulogne (3) Cassie Pease Designs