31st Week, Friday, Nov 10
Romans 15:14-21 / Luke 16:1-8
John Henry Newman, the great British convert to Catholicism, wrote: "God committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have a mission—I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I shall do good. I shall do his work, if I but keep his commandments and serve him in my calling." Many of us are not so lucky as Paul. We do not have such a clear picture of what God is calling us to do in this life. But like John Henry Newman, we know that if we keep God's commandments, we will accomplish our mission. And we will be amazed in the next life when we learn how important our mission actually was.
***
Do we really believe we have a special mission? "Lead, kindly Light ... Lead Thou me on!" John Henry Newman
***
Paul excuses himself for interfering in the affairs of the Church of Rome, for it was not founded by him. But he will rely on the Romans for his missionary journeys to the West. He has two basic reasons for dealing with them: collegiality – for he is an apostle like the others – and his priestly ministry as evangelizer bringing the Good News to all.
***
Many a time, our best ideas come about out of a desperate situation. It takes an urgency to get us to try out ideas that we may not have even thought of before. Such was the case with the steward in today's gospel parable. It might sound rather confusing to us that that master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. But the point here is not about the steward's dishonesty but his astuteness.
Jesus is focusing on the urgency and energy with which a worldly man secures his future at a time of reckoning. And He even urged that we, the children of the light, should learn from that, and ensure that our own future is not in jeopardy. We must not be dishonest or immoral; in fact, we are called to be upright and moral especially when we are faced with so much temptation to enter into the dark side.
But we are children of the light. We must believe that the light will prevail and scatter the darkness. Then the truth of each person will be revealed.
***
The steward in the Gospel of today is dishonest and loses his job as a consequence. The loss of his job makes him think wisely and plan accurately for the future by renewing and strengthening his relationships. The master praises the steward’s astuteness. The parable firstly reminds us that we are not ‘owners’ of anything, even of our own lives, but only ‘stewards’; God is the sole owner. Secondly, as stewards, we are accountable to the master. Thirdly, we must use all our skills, talents, abilities and resources to build up the Kingdom of God.
***
Whatever the unknown context of today’s parable may have been, the central thought of Jesus’ words seems to be this: Much has been entrusted to us and we will have to give an account for it to God. We must act responsibly, keeping our goal in mind: God and our neighbour. Let us be people who try to know where we are going and what we are doing.
***
Prayer
Lord our God, you have made us responsible with you for many persons and things: for ourselves, for other people, for the future of this world. May we be good stewards of all you have entrusted to us. Help us to use our talents wisely and well in the service of all that is good, always inspired by faith and living in the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
***
Saint Leo the Great
Feast day November 10
Only two popes have earned the title Great—Gregory I and Leo I. Leo was born in the beginning of the fifth century, probably in Rome. When he was a deacon, other church leaders looked to him for advice and for explanations of the faith. Leo was sent to settle arguments between leaders. He was on such a mission in 440 when he was elected pope. He helped the Church stay united when it was being attacked inside by false teachers and outside by warring tribes.
In 452, the Huns, led by Attila, marched toward Rome to destroy the city. Pope Leo went out to meet Attila and was able to stop him by agreeing to pay tribute to him every year. Three years later, another tribe marched on Rome—the Vandals, led by Genseric. Again Leo went out to meet the enemy, but this time, Leo was only able to stop the tribe from burning the city. For two weeks, the Vandals pillaged and looted Rome while the people sought shelter in the churches. Leo helped rebuild the city after the invaders departed, and he then sent missionaries to Africa to minister to those who had been captured and taken there by the Vandals.
Leo is often remembered for his writings and explanations of the faith, especially during the Council of Chalcedon in 451. His words were so powerful that the 600 bishops gathered there felt they had heard Saint Peter speaking through Leo. Pope Leo the Great died in 461.
