Homily: Friday of the 31st Week of OT - Account of your stewardship

Consider the last line of the Gospel. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

If Jesus’ followers were as prudent in doing the word of God, as children of the world are in seeking after their own self-interest, how different would the world be?

Would that Jesus’ followers were as diligent at storing up treasure in heaven, as greedy folks on wall street are in acquiring earthly wealth. Would that Jesus’ followers were as meticulous at organizing charitable activity in their parish as the head coaches of professional football teams are putting together their teams for victory. Would that Jesus’ followers were as thorough at disciplining their minds and hearts against temptation, as professional athletes are in training their bodies.  Would that Jesus’ followers were as painstaking in teaching the Gospel to our children, as the culture is in malforming them. What a different world this would be.

This passage is certainly a call to action, isn’t it? Followers of Jesus have so much work to do, but so often, the work of God takes the back seat to our earthly endeavors.  

We are a lot like that dishonest steward in the Gospel today, reported to the rich man for wasting his property.  Who is the rich man symbolic of in the story? God, of course.  God, who has given us charge over his household, who has given us stewardship over creation, and in his Church. His placed his good in our hands; his word, the Scriptures, the Sacraments. He literally places his Son into our hands in the Eucharist.  He has given us the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit. So many talents are at our disposal, so much good health. 

Wouldn’t it be God’s right to say to us, at any time, as the rich man said to the steward in the Gospel, “what is this I hear about you? Squandering the gifts I have given you?” If we were to prepare right now, a full account of our stewardship, how would we do? How many wasted hours in front of the television? How many wasted opportunities for visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely? How many wasted gifts, unused because we didn’t want to leave our comfort zone?

Have we buried our talents in the ground? Have we wasted in the time, opportunities, and gifts he has given us?

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, we think about certain things.  We think about our death, we think about our judgment.  If death and judgment were to come right now, would I be ready? The end of the liturgical year, is like the end of the fiscal year. You start looking at the balance sheet, taking an account.  What do I need to change for next year, so that I don’t squander as I did. Where were the places where money, time, talent, was misspent.  How different our lives would have been this year, if we would have made us of all the opportunities God gave us.

Let us take serious accounting, and by God’s grace, seek a transformation, a reorientation of values and practices, that our whole lives may be at His service for the glory of God and salvation of souls.