The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to the Spirit nudging us to work with the intention of wisely using our gifts to build the Kingdom of God.
Develop our gifts
In the Letter of Paul to the Romans, he shares his reason for writing so boldly.
* [15:21] The citation from Is 52:15 concerns the Servant of the Lord. According to Isaiah, the Servant is first of all Israel, which was to bring the knowledge of Yahweh to the nations. In Rom 9–11 Paul showed how Israel failed in this mission. Therefore, he himself undertakes almost singlehandedly Israel’s responsibility as the Servant and moves as quickly as possible with the gospel through the Roman empire.1
Psalm 98 praises the Judge of the World.
* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the Parable of the Dishonest Manager to comment on cleverness and prudence.
* [16:1–8a] The parable of the dishonest steward has to be understood in the light of the Palestinian custom of agents acting on behalf of their masters and the usurious practices common to such agents. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master’s property (Lk 16:1) and not in any subsequent graft. The master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own usurious commission on the business transaction by having the debtors write new notes that reflected only the real amount owed the master (i.e., minus the steward’s profit). The dishonest steward acts in this way in order to ingratiate himself with the debtors because he knows he is being dismissed from his position (Lk 16:3). The parable, then, teaches the prudent use of one’s material goods in light of an imminent crisis.3
Edward Morse comments that, as Paul suggests, even people full of goodness may need admonishment from time to time. Perhaps we can get a little too full of our goodness for our own good! Focusing on thanksgiving, mercy, and goodness that comes from the works of God in our midst can help us escape this trap. And perhaps effective admonishment also comes from examples of living out and honoring goodness, albeit imperfectly.
I would venture that most of us do not like being admonished – particularly if it comes with being judged. But we often need things we do not like. The medicine we need in this life is sometimes bitter, not sweet. Lord, help us accept your admonishments and live wisely in light of the truth and goodness we know, but sometimes fail to execute. And when we fail, help us to flee to your tender mercies, knowing that your love endures forever. Amen.4
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Why did the Lord Jesus Christ present this parable to us? He surely did not approve of that cheat of a servant who cheated his master, stole from him and did not make it up from his own pocket. On top of that, he also did some extra pilfering. He caused his master further loss, in order to prepare a little nest of quiet and security for himself after he lost his job. Why did the Lord set this before us? It is not because that servant cheated but because he exercised foresight for the future. When even a cheat is praised for his ingenuity, Christians who make no such provision blush. I mean, this is what he added, 'Behold, the children of this age are more prudent than the children of light.' They perpetrate frauds in order to secure their future. In what life, after all, did that steward insure himself like that? What one was he going to quit when he bowed to his master's decision? He was insuring himself for a life that was going to end. Would you not insure yourself for eternal life?" (excerpt from 359A.10.)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 16:1-8 comments that Jesus wants us to learn from this steward—not from his dishonesty, but from his shrewdness and ability to think about his future. We may or may not have material wealth, but we are all “stewards” of God’s gifts. We can be as creative as this steward when we consider how to use what God has given us to help ourselves—and the people around us. One day our “stewardship” will end. Our resources are only temporary. All the more reason to use them to build the kingdom of God here and now so that one day we can enter the “eternal dwellings” in heaven (Luke 16:9).
Take a look at what you’re doing with the goods you have. How can your gifts benefit God’s kingdom here on earth? How can you use your resources for the good of other people? As a child of God, you don’t have to act in fear like the steward. You can be sure that your heavenly Father will never let go of you. So get creative! Freely give of the gifts God has given to you, and build his kingdom in the process. “Lord, help me to be a good steward of all that you have given me!”6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out some of the concerns of Paul as he prepares to evangelize the Gentiles of Rome. The journey of Paul reminds us that our peace is found living in the Lord. Friar Jude reminds us of the appreciation of the culture of Jesus' time for cleverness that was seen as a survival technique.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in ‘Laudato Si’, Pope Francis urges Christians to consider the long-term effects of our actions which impact the future well-being of the human species, all living things, and our planet itself.
The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. The global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity. Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. . . . Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us. The Portuguese bishops have called upon us to acknowledge this obligation of justice: “The environment is part of a logic of receptivity. It is on loan to each generation, which must then hand it on to the next.” [1]7
Our gifts of prudence and cleverness are called to be in service of the common good as we respond to the direction of the Spirit.
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