Friday of 31st Week, uneven numbered year
“Jesus said to his disciples : ’There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, ’What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.”
Jesus of Nazareth knew the joy of the man who earns his living by thre work of his hands.He knew the price of a work that was well done. Like every craftman, he counted on his salary, knowing that Mary was waiting for it. The disciples were orgnaised, they had an economy, some women followed Jesus right from the beginnings in Galilee and ’many others who helped him with their ressources.’ Jesus appreciated the help of these women. He tells us about the dishonest steward. It is certainly founded upon a known event that Jesus takes, a reality that the auditors know. Jesus underlines that our honesty in things of the earth allow God to place his trust in us for the intersts of the Kingdom. First of all delaing with goods of this world we become little by little associated with God in the great work of Redemption. This is the ’true good’ , our goods,that of God’s inheritors and co heritiers of God. We can build God’s Kingdom with intelligence, and sing endlessly the song of the Ressurection. ’Alleuluiah, the Lord s marvels., in adjusting our life to the Holy Spirit, to God’s Will, never letting aside any small sacrifice that could serve God’s Glory. There is so much to do to announce the Good News, new spaces open up before us. We are witnesses of the delicacy, the finesse and intelligence of Christ, w e always need to be on our guards about the announcement of the Kingdom, to be a minister of Jesus Christ.
"Then the steward said to himself ’Now that the master is taking my stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be toto ashamed. Ah I know what I shall do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there wil be some to welcome me into their homes.
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ’How much do you owe my master?’ One hundred measure of oil, ’he said. the steward said, ’Here, take your bond ; sit down and quickly write fifty.’ To
another he said, ’And you, sir, how much do you owe?“”One hundred measures of wheat.’ he said. The steward said, ’Here, take your bond and write eighty.’
As Jesus sees it, what is the ’money of iniquity?’ It is money dishonestly gained ; but also that which becomesa blind power of injustice or of oppression and especially money reduced to to slavery the one who owns it and the one who desires it. This is why Jesus doesn’t use the ordinary word to name money, but mammon, which in Jesus’ time designated wealth, a gain more often than not badly acquired, but alos the secret illusions of this world, opposed to the trust of the ’poor’ of Israel in their God. Knowing what God demands and accomplishing it with great ardour, in great simplicity, adjudted to God. That requires a lovely energy from us, to be together for God’s Mission, each at their own place, conform to what the Holy Spirit is telling us. Each having but one concern : to edify a missionary community, which , in any case, is going to announce the Mystery of Jesus, each according to the grace given to him by God.
“The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. for the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.”
A day will come when all of our possessions and servitude to money will become suddenly useless. This certitude mustn’t spoil neither our confidence in God nor our ardour to serve him in daily life. We don’t want to be submitted to our compulsions or to our passions but to what God wants to bring about in the world. Money must serve to make friends who will welcome us in the future life, where money won’t be necessary any more, neither for ourselves nor for them : ’ Gather your treasures in heaven.’ The important thing is that ’amidst the changes of this world, our hearts be established forly where true joys are.’ Since our baptism, we are sons of light, ministers of Jesus Christ each one according to the gift that God has given to us. We live the Good News first and foremost in order to announce it in Truth. We ask the Holy Spirit to be moved by Him,in such a way so as to be ajusted to Jesus, desiring only His Will. The Holy Spirit works ceaselessly in us for the works of God to come about. So we are joined to the desire of Jesus : that this proposal be inversed : ’The sons of this world are more slikful amongst themselves than the sons of light.’ May the sons of Light be ever at work for God’s works.