DAILY- HOMILY

November 7, 2014

Friday 31st Week in Ordinary Time

Phil 3: 17 - 4: 1 / Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 / Lk 16: 1-8 

Reading: Phil 3: 17 - 4: 1

Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears: they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things. For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glory, through the power which is his to submit everything to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.

Gospel: Luke 16: 1-8

At another time Jesus told his disciples, "There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.' The steward thought to himself, 'What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.'  So he called his master's debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, 'How much do you owe my master?' The reply was, 'A hundred jars of oil.' The steward said, 'Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.' To the second debtor he put the same question, 'How much do you owe?' The answer was, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' Then the said: 'Take your bill and write eighty.' The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness: for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light.

Reflection:

     In today's liturgy, the epistle contains the theme of our CITIZENSHIP in Heaven, where we will see the Lord and where we shall be transformed to His likeness and be eternally happy.

     The Gospel passage is confusing in that Jesus seems to be condoning dishonesty.  However, this parable has to be understood in the light of the custom then of agents acting on behalf of their master and the usurious practices common to such agents. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master's property.  But the master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own usurious commission on the business transactions by having the debtors write new notes that reflected only the real amount owed the master, minus the steward's profit. The dishonest steward acts this way to ingratiate himself to the debtors because he knows he will be dismissed. (from the Bible Notes on this passage.)

     In this story, Jesus shows how the world behaves. People trust each other, and yet, become dishonest, and then even the dishonesty is mitigated for something that would benefit the individual and so on. Always in self-interest. Always, in what is in it for me?  Always, what do I get out of the transaction?

     However, the message of the Lord is found in the succeeding passages of Lk 16:9-13, where Jesus ultimately posits that "No servant can serve two masters." Connecting that to the Epistle, we are NOT citizens of the world where they are headed for ruin, their belly is their god, and they feel proud of what should be their shame. Rather, our citizenship is in Heaven, from where we await the coming of Our Lord. 

     We should start behaving like these citizens of Heaven, even now while we are on earth, and as St Paul says in the first verse of Phil 4, "Be steadfast in the Lord."

Prayer Requests:

We pray ...

... for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn. 

... for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.

... for families who are in need of healing.

... for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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