From The Bishop

The Readings for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time speak about stewardship. The Gospel of St. Luke presents us with a manager who Jesus praises because of his “shrewdness”. Even though he acted dishonestly, the Lord is commanding his attitude rather than his behavior. Knowing that he was soon going to be fired because of incompetence, the manager shrewdly makes friends with his master’s debtors by reducing their debt. This will ensure that when he is fired and in need, they will be indebted to him and help in some way. The steward plans ahead and puts some effort into ensuring that he will be secure when his life dramatically changes. To use a phrase that is common today, he wants to “land on his feet” when he falls. This is the attitude that Jesus commends, “And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of the light.” Stewardship is all about wise management. We have been entrusted with many things by Almighty God. Do we use these things to help others? The First Reading from the Prophet Amos reminds us of our responsibility to care for one another, especially the poor and vulnerable. The Second Reading from Timothy speaks of the responsibility we have to pray, give thanks to God, and to lead good and holy lives. Stewardship involves time, talent and treasure. It also involves prayer, gratitude, and a desire to be holy. Time is a precious commodity. Most people feel they don’t have enough time so it is important to be generous and to use it wisely. We are all blessed with many talents and they have been given to us to be used for others and to give glory to God. We use our treasure, almsgiving, to support those in need and the work of Christ in His Church. We do all of this because one day, like the manager of the Gospel, our lives will dramatically change and we will have to give an accounting of our stewardship before God. Are we prepared?