Twenty-fifth Sunday C in Ordinary Time, Luke 16,1-13

In the parable, Jesus points out how we are to relate to material and spiritual values and says: “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).

In the time of Christ and today, there is no lack of clever people, swindlers, combiners, even liars, cheats, or embezzlers. In the Gospels, we can notice that Jesus never breaks the rod over a man and thus does not shower him with reproaches or threats, and when he had to admonish, he did it in such a way as not to offend anyone. This is also the case with the steward, who squandered his master’s property and was commended by his master in the end. The steward was cunning. The moment he is about to give an account of his shuffling, he wonders what he should do and, at the same time, thinks about ensuring a decent future for himself. Having robbed the lord before, he now robs even more, to secure a profitable future for himself. And for this action, the master praises him. We know that Jesus teaches us to disagree with sin, and it is here, when he praises the dishonest steward, that he does not tell us of an exception; on the contrary, we are given both an explanation and an encouragement in the words, “The sons of this world are more prudent toward one another than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). They spare no effort and no time for their goals and good. Thus Jesus indicates how often those who have received baptism call themselves Christians and are put to shame by various earthly impostors. The sons of the world will do anything to enrich themselves, and should the sons of light be put to shame? For the sons of light are, after all, concerned with eternity. It calls for Christians to be much more alert regarding values that cannot be eaten by moths, destroyed by rust, or stolen by thieves. By this, Jesus is pointing us to pay more attention to the things that will be rewarded in eternity, not to be afraid of the effort and the waste of time, and to be stewards who will be rewarded and praised, not shamed or punished. It is in this sense that the words should be understood: “Make friends of unrighteous mammon, so that when it passes away, they may receive you into eternal dwellings” (Lk 16:9). Jesus does not explicitly mention death, and yet He indicates that the person who has believed in the values of God should use all that is transitory to obtain the importance of the eternal. God has commanded us to subdue and fill the earth and rule over the world’s fish, fowl, and beasts. God requires of man an honest approach to the values He has created for him. Man is to use everything for his good to fulfill the mission God has assigned him. And so we understand the words: “He who is faithful in little things is faithful also in great things, and he who is dishonest in little things is dishonest also in great things” (Lk 16:10).

Thus, the factor determining the Christian virtue of foresight is not reasoned alone, intelligence, knowledge, ability, or skill, but reason enlightened by faith. By faith, the Lord also speaks to us: “Give the number of your sheaf” (Lk 16:2). And it is not only then but already now that I need to worry about what I will do. The foreknowledge of the sons of the world compels us to use every means and thing at our disposal so that one day we may hear the words: “Right, good servant because you have been faithful in a little thing, have power over ten cities” (Lk 19:17). In the ordinary things of life we are to think of the future, of the goal of our life. It is right to take time for prayer. We know that we are to talk to God regularly. That is why we know different kinds and ways of worship, such as supplication, thanksgiving, intercession, and so on. We can pray alone and even better together. We do not have a limited time and space for prayer. How many brothers and sisters know and can pray when traveling when they have to wait, and so on? How many brothers and sisters not only begin and end their work – of whatever kind – with blessing, but their work, even if they do not directly think of God during it, is prayer? Not only do they set the intention that they want to be united with God, the Mother of God, and the angels, but they offer it for a specific purpose. They do not do their work, their duties mindlessly, just for pay, just for fun, just as a duty or a task, but they give a spiritual dimension to their work, their duties, and their studies. I hear from these brothers and sisters that when I do something, I do it not only with quality and responsibility for natural life but also for the values that are valid for eternal life. Many are formed, guided, and educated in this way and do not find it difficult to attend Mass on the first Friday or several times a week to do works of corporal and spiritual mercy. They not only receive baptism, but they fulfill their baptismal obligations. They know not only their rights but also their duties. Our example of life is worthy of a souvenir. What is it? It is not enough for us to be only sons of the world but also sons of light.

The danger is when we feel ourselves Christians only sometimes, only in certain places, only in certain circumstances. Only an unreasonable person knowingly and willingly complicates his life. We protect our property, we look after our health, and are we to forget our spiritual property – our soul? Do we watch programs on television without choice, criticism, or evaluation? Do we not own videotapes that do not conform to Christian morality, sex, and violence…? What do we read? What do we talk about most often? The stewards of the things of this world pay attention to the things of the world. We are children of God, brothers, and sisters of the Lord Jesus. What is our priority in life, what do we value, cherish, and whom do we prefer?
How about sitting down and doing a little math? God gives us 8,760 hours in a year. Sociologists say we devote 3,000 hours to sleep, 3,600 hours to work, 900 hours to satiating our bodies, 600 hours to the toilet, and more than 500 hours to television – and to the Lord God?
Many today are re-evaluating whom to befriend and whom to have contacts with to bring them acquaintance, but they are no longer thinking about the soul. We don’t consider whether what we buy will benefit our souls. We believe we acquire, under the influence of advertising, public opinion, but we forget that we become slaves of things, of devices, of what is called: to have, to possess, to possess, to own…

Today there is a lot of talk about getting rich quickly. Today many people claim to be believers. And today, many are asking whether it is possible to acquire such capital at such a time. Whether he is genuinely a believer whose deeds reveal something entirely different. The words of the Lord Jesus are valid: “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).
In Mary Brooks’ reflection, The Touch of the Master’s Hand, she writes: Many things were auctioned at the auction. Among them was a dusty old violin. The auctioneer thought that dealing with old violins was a waste of time. He picked them up and said: “What will you give for them?” The offer was ridiculous. Before he could knock off the amount, a man came up to him and cleaned the violin and the bow. He dusted them off, tuned them, and played a beautiful piece. When the music died away, everyone remained spellbound. After a while, the caller quietly said to those present, “What will you give for this instrument now?” The offer for the violin was incomparably higher.
What changed the price of the violin? The touch of the master. A souvenir for each of us. We know what God asks of us as believers. We know it, and often we don’t act on it. It’s like the violin. Even today’s Mass, prayer, or good deeds, even the Christian life, have fallen into dust, have become boring to us, we have stopped paying attention to them… They have lost their value, meaning, or necessary for us. With today’s Gospel, Jesus wants to awaken us. It is suitable when we realize that we must not be like the sons of the world, but we want to learn from them that by cooperating with God’s graces, we can live our life more fully, more worthily, and more surely toward eternal life.
We disperse to our duties, to our families, and for this reason, it is fitting that we want to become salt, leaven, and light, according to the words of the Lord Jesus, and so serve God.

The woman who did not carry out the dying man’s last will was not wise. God will not be fooled; he will not be caught up. From St. Cosmas and Damian, we can learn today, even the mundane things and events, to live with God, for God, and earn our reward in eternity. And reflecting on our lives will give us the answer. But let it be an answer that is in accord with the will of God.