Bài giảng Chúa nhật thứ 32 Thường niên (A); Máthêu 25:1-13
Tôi nhớ hơn nửa thế kỷ trước, chị
gái cả của tôi kết hôn, lễ cưới được tổ chức tại nhà chúng tôi. Lễ cưới kéo dài
3 ngày. Ngày đầu tiên là tiệc dành cho bạn bè và hàng xóm đến phụ giúp dựng lều
và giết hep, mổ trâu và chuẩn bị thức ăn cho bữa tiệc lớn, ngày thứ hai là
ngàytrojng đai nhất, lễ cưới tại nhà thờ xứ nhà sau lễ mọi người trong làng,
bạn bè và những người thân được mời đến dự tiệc cưới, ngày thứ ba là tiệc dành
cho những người bạn đến giúp dọn dẹp bàn nghế và thu dọn lều. Ba ngày cưới này
chẳng có là gì đê so với đám cưới truyền thống của người Do Thái vào thời Chúa Giê-su.
Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay cho chúng ta
thấy nhiều hình ảnh về đám cưới của người Do Thái và những hình ảnh đó vang
vọng ý nghĩa thiêng liêng. Chúa Giêsu là chú rể. Theo sách
Khải Huyền, Chúa Giêsu con Thiên Chúa từ trời xuống để chuẩn bị Cô dâu của
Ngài, Giêrusalem mới là Vương quốc thiêng liêng vô hình của Thiên Chúa trên
trái đất này, được phản ánh qua Giáo Hội Công Giáo Thánh Thiện hữu hình. (Khải
Huyền 21:2-3) Chúng ta hãy nhớ rằng theo sách Công Vụ Các Tông Đồ, Giáo Hội
Công Giáo Thánh Thiện đã bắt đầu tại Giêrusalem (Công Vụ 1:4) vào ngày Lễ Ngũ
Tuần khi Chúa Thánh Linh được ban cho Giáo Hội.
Chúng ta chính là những người phù
dâu. Chúng ta là con cái của Thiên Chúa, những người đã đặt niềm tin vào Chúa
Giêsu Kitô và đã chịu phép báp-têm theo truyền dạy của Chúa Giê-su để nhận lãnh
các ơn của Đức Thánh Linh (tâm hồn mới, linh hồn con người mới và Đức Thánh
Linh ngự trong chúng ta để chúng ta ghi nhớ luật pháp của Thiên Chúa).
Chúng ta đã nhận được sự công
chính của mình trong phép Rửa tội để xóa bỏ mọi dấu vết của tội nguyên tổ và
những tội phạm cá nhân mà chúng ta đã phạm trước khi chịu phép Rửa. Và giờ đây chúng ta nên hưởng về các Bí tích
của Giáo hội Công giáo, sự tha thứ tội lỗi qua Bí tích Hòa giải và sự sống của
Chúa Kitô qua Bí tích Thánh Thể là Bánh Sự Sống. Mỗi điều nêu trên đều là những
bước cần thiết để chúng ta là con cái Thiên Chúa có được đó là sự khôn ngoan
dưới sự hướng dẫn của Chúa Thánh Thần.
Nếu chúng ta bỏ bê bất kỳ Bí tích
nào trong số này, ngay cả Bí tích Hòa giải hoặc Bí tích Thánh Thể, vì những Bí
tích này mang lại cho chúng ta sự bảo đảm liên tục về sự công chính của Thiên
Chúa dẫn đến ơn cứu rỗi đời đời, thì chúng ta giống như những cô dâu khờ dại
không mang theo dầu theo đèn để đảm bảo đèn của họ sẽ tiếp tục sáng trong bóng
tối khi Chúa Giêsu bất ngờ đến vào lúc nửa đêm.
Đối với những người bỏ bê đời
sống tâm linh của mình, ngay cả những cách nghỉ ngơi tạm thời để theo đuổi
những lối sống thế tục và danh vọng. Sự giàu có và thú vui ích kỷ trần thế sẽ
hủy hoại linh hồn con người, nếu Chúa Giêsu gọi họ về với Chúa trong đêm nay,
Chúa Giêsu sẽ chắc chắn từ chối cho họ vào Nước Thiên Chúa vì sự bỏ bê đời sống
tâm linh của họ. Tất cả chúng ta đều bị phán xét theo sự chân thành của tấm
lòng và những việc chúng ta đã làm trong cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Anh chị thân mến, sự khác biệt
giữa người khôn ngoan và kẻ khờ dại là người khôn ngoan không nhìn mọi sự bằng
đôi mắt trần thế. Họ nhìn mọi sự bằng tâm trí sâu sắc, suy nghĩ thấu đáo và hành động như
những triết gia đích thực thời xưa, những người xem xét bối cảnh lịch sử, hiện
tại và tương lai của sự việc trước khi đưa ra quyết định cuối cùng. Vấn đề của
chúng ta ngày nay đơn giản là vì chúng ta không còn suy nghĩ nữa. Chúng ta hành
động như thể không có khả năng tư duy. Chúng ta phản ứng nhiều hơn theo cảm xúc
và sống qua ngày mà không cho phép cuộc sống đặt câu hỏi cho mình.
Ngày nay, chúng ta được thách
thức tìm kiếm sự khôn ngoan, đó là sự hiểu biết thuộc linh về cuộc sống bằng
cách nhìn thấy những điều có thể không nhìn thấy ngay lập tức nhưng được Chúa
mặc khải. Khi chúng ta đang chuẩn bị cho mùa Vọng, mùa chuẩn bị cho sự đến của
Con Thiên Chúa.
Tin Mừng Thánh Mathiêu chương
7:22 có viết là: "Lạy Chúa, lạy Chúa, nào chúng tôi đã chẳng từng nhân
danh Chúa mà nói tiên tri, nhân danh Chúa mà trừ quỷ, nhân danh Chúa mà làm
nhiều phép lạ đó sao?”
Bấy giờ Chúa Giêsu sẽ phán cùng
họ rằng: “Ta không hề biết các ngươi; xéo đi cho khuất mắt Ta, hỡi bọn làm điều
gian ác!
Hôm
nay, Chúa kêu gọi mỗi người chúng ta hãy chuẩn bị, hãy tỉnh thức, vì chúng ta
không biết ngày giờ nào mình sẽ được gọi đến để trả lời trước mặt Chúa. Chúa
Giêsu đang bảo chúng ta hãy khôn ngoan. Bởi vì khi ngày giờ của chúng ta đến,
chúng ta không muốn nghe Chúa Giêsu nói với chúng ta: “Thật vậy, ta nói cùng
các ngươi, ta không biết các ngươi.” Trong khi chúng ta còn thời giờ, còn hy
vọng. Với lòng thương xót vô biên của Chúa, Ngài không ngừng tìm kiếm chúng ta
và cho chúng ta cơ hội để sửa đổi lối sống tâm linh tội lỗi của chúng ta. Với lòng thương xót vô biên, Thiên Chúa vẫn luôn tìm kiếm và ban cho
chúng ta cơ hội để sửa đổi lối sống của mình. Ước mong sao, qua những việc làm
tốt lành xuất phát từ đức tin và lòng bác ái, chúng ta có thể thưa với Chúa
Giêsu như câu thánh vịnh trong đáp ca là Hôm nay,
Thiên Chúa kêu gọi mỗi người chúng ta hãy chuẩn bị sẵn sàng, hãy tỉnh thức, bởi
lẽ chúng ta không biết ngày nào hay giờ nào mình sẽ được gọi đến để trình diện
trước mặt Thiên Chúa. Hôm nay, chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu nhắc nhở hãy sống khôn
ngoan. Bởi lẽ, khi thời điểm của chúng ta đến, chắc hẳn chúng ta không muốn
nghe Chúa Giêsu phán rằng: “Thầy bảo thật các con, Thầy không biết các con là
ai.” Chừng nào còn thời gian, chừng đó vẫn còn hy vọng. Với lòng thương xót vô
biên, Thiên Chúa vẫn luôn tìm kiếm và ban cho chúng ta cơ hội để sửa đổi đường
lối của mình. Ước mong sao, qua những việc làm tốt lành xuất phát từ đức tin và
lòng bác ái, chúng ta có thể thưa với Chúa Giêsu rằng: “Lạy Chúa là Thiên Chúa
của con, linh hồn con khao khát Ngài” (Thánh Vịnh 62).: “Lạy Chúa là Thiên Chúa
của con, linh hồn con khao khát Ngài” (Thánh Vịnh 62).
My Homily for 32nd
Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Wisdom 6:12-16; 1Thessalonians,
4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
I remember over a half
century ago, my oldest sister got married, the wedding celebration took place at
our house. The wedding was celebrated for 3 days. On the first day, the party
was for friends and neighbors who came to help setup tents for the wedding party
and prepare meals, the second day was the biggest celebration, a wedding Mass at
the local church and most of the people in the village, friends and relatives
were invited to come to the wedding reception, the third day was for friends
who helped to take down the tents and cleanup. Well, those 3-day celebration meant
nothing in comparison with the Jewish traditional wedding in Jesus’ time.
Today’s
Gospel gives us a number of pictures of the Jewish wedding and those pictures echoe
spiritual meanings. Jesus is the bridegroom. According to the book of Revelation,
Jesus descends out of Heaven from God to prepare His Bride, the new Jerusalem,
the Holy Catholic Church that is the invisible spiritual Kingdom of God on
earth. (Rev. 21:2-3)
According to the Acts
of the Apostle’s the Holy Catholic Church had its beginning in Jerusalem (Acts
1:4) on Pentecost Day when the Holy Spirit was given to the Church. The
bridesmaids, that’s us. We are God's children who have placed our faith in
Jesus Christ and who have been baptized as commanded by Jesus to receive the
gifts of the Holy Spirit (the new heart, the new human spirit and the
indwelling Holy Spirit so we will remember God's laws). We have received
our righteousness at Baptism to erase all traces of the original sin and the
personal sins that we have committed before our Baptism. And now we enjoy the
Sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation and the life of Christ in us through the Sacrament
of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
Each of the aforementioned are necessary steps for us children of
God to have spiritual wisdom under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
If we neglect any
of these Sacraments, even just the Sacraments of Reconciliation or the
Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist that gives us our ongoing assurance of God's
righteousness that leads to eternal salvation, then, we are like the foolish
bridesmaids who did not take any oil with them to ensure that their lamps would
continue to shine in the darkness when the Lord Jesus comes unexpectedly at
midnight. To those who neglect their spiritual
lives, even by temporarily taking a break to embrace the worldly ways of
selfish fame, wealth and pleasures that destroy the soul, should the Lord Jesus
call them to Heaven tonight, Jesus will deny them the Kingdom of God because of
their spiritual neglect. We all are judged according to the sincerity of the
heart that we have at the moment of death.
My dear friends,
the difference between the wise and the foolish is that the wise doesn’t see
things with the naked eyes. They see things with an inner mind, think deeply
and they act like the true philosophers of old who considers the historical
antecedent of things, the present and the future consequences of things before
taking a final decision. Our problems today are simply because we don’t think
anymore. We just act as if we don’t have the human faculty to think. We respond
more to emotions and pass-through life without allowing life to question us. We
are challenged today to seek for wisdom which is a spiritual understanding of
life by seeing things that may not be immediately seen but revealed by God.
As we are
preparing for the Advent season, the season of preparing for the coming of the
Son of God, Matthew Gospel chapter 7:22 says, "Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of
power in your name?" Then Jesus
will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me, you
evil-doers."
Today God called
each and every one of us to be prepared, to stay awake, because we do not know
the day or the hour when we will be called to answer before the Lord God. Today
we hear Jesus telling us to be wise. Because when our time comes, we do not
want to hear from our Lord Jesus saying: “Amen, I say to you, I do not know
you.” While there is time, there is hope. Our God in his bountiful
mercy, continually seeks us out and gives us the opportunity to mend our ways. May
we tell our Lord Jesus with good deeds of faith and charity: “My soul is
thirsting for you, O Lord my God (Psalm 62).”
Sunday 32nd in
Ordinary Time year A 2026
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The
kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to
meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” Matthew 25:1–2
The Parable of the Ten Virgins draws on
culturally familiar language and practices from first-century Israel.
Understanding the wedding customs of that time sheds light on its deeper
meaning.
First, the bride and groom did not choose each
other. The father of the groom selected a bride for his son and spoke to the
bride’s father to obtain his consent. If the bride’s father agreed, the two
fathers drew up a contract, which often included a financial contribution from
the groom’s family to the bride’s—both to compensate for the loss of her
presence in the household and to symbolize the value the groom placed on her.
Once an agreement was reached, the bride price
was paid, and a betrothal ceremony took place. During this ceremony, the bride
and groom were legally bound to each other, though they would not yet live
together. From that point on, the bride belonged to the groom, and the union
could only be dissolved through a formal divorce. After the betrothal, the
groom returned to his father’s house to prepare a place for his bride—often by
building a new room onto the family home. This period of preparation could last
up to a year. During that time, the bride remained in her father’s house,
readying herself and awaiting the groom’s return.
When the groom had finished his preparations
and received his father’s consent, he and his friends would set out to retrieve
the bride. This usually happened at night, and the exact timing was unknown to
the bride and her attendants. As a result, they had to remain constantly
watchful. When the groom drew near, a cry would go out—often accompanied by
trumpet blasts or joyful shouts—announcing his arrival. The bride, accompanied
by her virgin attendants, would rise to meet him with lamps lit. Together, they
would process to the groom’s house, where the door would be shut and the
wedding feast would begin. The celebration itself could last several days.
It is against this backdrop that
Jesus tells today’s parable. The story takes place toward the end of the
betrothal period, when the groom was expected to arrive at any moment. This
period of watchful anticipation symbolizes our present age, when we are already
bound to Christ through Baptism. The price for our mystical marriage was the
death of the Son of Man, the Bridegroom Himself. Now we must remain vigilant,
anticipating His arrival.
The bridegroom’s arrival at midnight
represents the unexpected moment of Christ’s return at the end of time, at the
hour of our death, and even His daily coming by grace. The cry in the dark
symbolizes the call of accountability and divine judgment, when every soul will
rise to meet the Lord. At that moment, it will become clear who among us was
wise and who was foolish. The wise brought oil, symbolizing the necessary
interior disposition of grace, charity, and perseverance. The foolish failed to
prepare. And while all may have fallen asleep, only those who lived in
readiness will enter the wedding feast. Once the door is locked, no one else
may enter.
See yourself as one of the bridesmaids, dozing
in the stillness of night, only to be startled awake by the sudden trumpet
blast and the cry: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Are you
ready, today, to meet the Lord? Or do you, like the foolish virgins, presume
you still have plenty of time left to prepare? This parable calls us not only
to be ready for death—which may come without warning—but also to be attentive
to the many ways Jesus comes to us daily by grace. He knocks at the door of our
hearts in moments of prayer, in opportunities to love, to repent, to forgive,
and to surrender. Each of these is a visitation, a miniature midnight cry.
Every graced invitation is one we must be ready for, with our lamps burning and
our hearts open. To delay, to resist, or to put Jesus off is to risk being shut
out—not only from the eternal wedding feast, but also from the joy of His
presence here and now.
Reflect today on the oil in your own lamp. Is
it full and ready to burn brightly at a moment’s notice? Have you been
attentive to the daily promptings of grace, or have you grown spiritually
drowsy, distracted by worldly cares? Ask the Lord to awaken your soul, to keep
you vigilant and eager for His coming, whether at the end of your life or in
the quiet moments of each day. Remain watchful, and be prepared to follow Him
in every moment of every day.
My Lord and Bridegroom of the Church, You call
us to vigilance, so that when You come to us—whether by grace throughout the
day or at the end of our lives—we may be ready to follow You into the wedding
feast of Divine Union. Free me, I pray, from all complacency and spiritual
sloth. Grant me instead the virtues of attentiveness and diligence, that I may
respond to every graced moment with love and fidelity. May each response draw
me into deeper communion with You, now and forever. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thirty-second
Sunday in Ordinary Time A 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you invite us
into the wedding feast of your kingdom, where your love unites you to your
people forever. Give us the wisdom to prepare for the Bridegroom’s coming, the
prudence to use our days well, and the generosity to offer our lives to you.
May the light of faith burn in us through works of charity, until we rejoice
with Christ at your banquet.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Kingdom: The Gospel of Matthew
repeatedly returns to the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus reveals
through his parables. As Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis explains, the Kingdom is the
realm in which God’s truth and goodness reign and those who love the Father
share in communion with him (Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. III,
769–770). Today’s parable portrays this kingdom as a wedding feast. The
bridegroom represents Christ, who comes to unite himself to his people and
welcome them into the joy of divine life. The image of marriage points toward
this mystery: the mutual self-gift of husband and wife reflects the perfect
communion God desires with humanity. As Leiva-Merikakis observes, earthly
marriage derives its deepest meaning from the divine union to which it points
(Vol. III, 770). The closed door at the parable’s conclusion underscores the
seriousness of our response to God’s invitation. The kingdom is not merely a
place we hope to enter someday; it is communion with the God who loves us and
desires to share his life with us. Christ promises this eternal joy, but he
also calls us to prepare to receive him.
2. Encountering the Bridegroom: In the preceding parable,
Jesus praises the faithful servant who fulfills his responsibilities while his
master is away (Matthew 24:45–51). Similarly, the wise virgins prepare for the
bridegroom’s possible delay by bringing extra oil. Both examples teach us to
use the present moment faithfully rather than presume upon the future. Yet the
image of the bridegroom reveals something deeper: the Christian life is not
simply about fulfilling obligations or avoiding punishment, but about preparing
for a personal encounter with Christ. What does the oil represent?
Leiva-Merikakis interprets it as a symbol of the self-surrender that allows
God’s love to take hold of us and shine through us (Vol. III, 772). We cannot
borrow another person’s fidelity or love for God. Others can encourage us in
holiness, but each of us must freely respond to Christ’s grace. This is why
Jesus commands us to stay awake. Since all ten virgins fall asleep, spiritual
vigilance cannot mean avoiding physical sleep. Rather, it means remaining faithful
even when the Lord seems slow to come. We prepare through prayer, obedience,
and charity, continually renewing our relationship with Christ instead of
anxiously speculating about the day or hour of his return.
3. The Oil of Self-Offering: The ten virgins represent
those called to await the Bridegroom and enter his wedding feast. All ten
receive the invitation and carry lamps, but only five bring sufficient oil.
Their different responses reveal the difference between desiring communion with
Christ and preparing to enter into it. Our lives, like the lamps, are meant to
receive God’s grace and make his love visible. The question is not merely
whether we bear the outward signs of Christian discipleship, but whether we are
offering ourselves to God in faith, hope, and love. Christ shows us the meaning
of this self-offering. As Bridegroom, he gives himself for his Bride, offering
his life to the Father for our salvation. Through his Passion, Death, and
Resurrection, he opens the way to eternal life. United to him, we are called to
offer ourselves to the Father – not to earn his love, but in grateful response
to the love we have received. The Beatitudes show us how this offering takes
shape in daily life. We become poor in spirit by depending on God, meek by
surrendering the desire to dominate, and hungry for righteousness by seeking
his will. We keep our lamps burning through mercy, purity of heart,
peacemaking, and fidelity amid suffering. Each act of humility, forgiveness,
justice, and generosity allows Christ’s love to transform us and shine through
us. The oil cannot be acquired at the last moment because a life of love cannot
be improvised at the hour of death. By God’s grace, we prepare now through the
ordinary choices of daily life. When the cry finally sounds, “Behold, the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” may we be ready to welcome Christ as those
who have learned to love him and have allowed his love to transform them. Then
we will enter the wedding feast and share forever in the communion for which we
were created.
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ Bẩy tuần 31 Thường Niên
Ca dao Việtnam chúng ta có câu :"Có tiền mua tiên cũng được... " Điều này là hoàn toàn
đúng, nếu xét rằng hầu hết mọi người chúng ta cố gắng để tích lũy tiền
bạc và sự giàu có trong cuộc đời của chúng ta, và nghĩ rằng của cải này sẽ giúp chúng ta an tâm hơn cho cuộc sống tương
lai của con cháu... Tiền của thật sự nó không phải là sự ác. Khi tiền của được sử
dụng đúng cách, đúng mục đích thì nó có thể làm được nhiều điều tốt
đẹp. Cách mà chúng ta cư xử và sử dụng số tiền đó sẽ xác
định được việc chúng ta đang kiểm soát sự giàu có của chúng ta hay là
việc chúng ta đang bị sự giàu có, tiền của này đang kiểm soát chúng ta.
Chúa Giêsu không lên án
việc chúng ta sử dụng tiền của. Nhưng trong thực
tế, Ngài vẫn luôn khuyến khích việc sử dụng tiền bạc miễn
là nó được dungmột cách khôn ngoan và thực hiện cho những
việc tốt lành. "Khi chút ít mà trung tín, thì nhiều cũng
mới trung tín; khi chút ít mà đã bất lương, thì nhiều, cũng bất
lương. Vậy nếu nơi tiền của bất lương, các ngươi không trung tín,
thì của chân thật ai nào sẽ ký thác cho các ngươi? (Lc 16: 10-11). Rõ
ràng, Chúa Giêsu coi tiền như là một phương tiện hơn là sự kết
thúc. Chúng ta đều là những người quản lý của những ân
sủng và sự giàu có mà Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta.Chúng ta
phải biết sử dụng những món quà này để giúp chính mình và những người
khác có thể có được những thứ "của cải chính
đáng" mà Thiên Chúa đã chuẩn bị cho chúng ta ở trên thiên đường.
Kho báu của chúng ta và
quyền thừa kế là phải là sự hiệp nhất trong Đấng Tạo Hóa của chúng ta. Tâm hồn của chúng
ta phải luôn luôn được đặt vàosự hiệp nhất với Thiên Chúa mà
không phải đạt trên những thứ của cài vật chất của thế giới
này, Có gì thường được xem là quan trọng trong thế giới này không phải là
những thứ mà Thiên Chúa muốn. "chúng ta không
thể vừa phục vụ choThiên Chúa, vừa làm nô lệ cho tiền bạc"
(Lc 16: 13). Chúng ta nên chọn những gì?
REFLECTION Saturday
31st Ordinary
We're all familiar with the saying,
"Money makes the world go `round." This is quite true, considering
that most people try to accumulate money and riches in their lifetime, thinking
that these will give them security and peace of mind. Money by itself is not
evil. When used properly, it can do a lot of good. It is how we treat and use
money that determines whether we control our wealth or we allow it to control
us.
Jesus himself doesn't condemn the use of
money. In fact, he encourages its use as long as it is wisely done and for the
good. "The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in
great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in
great" (Lk 16 : 10). Obviously, Jesus considers money ("little
[basic] things") more as a means than as the end. We are all stewards of
the gifts and riches that God has given us. We have to use these gifts to help
ourselves and others to obtain the "genuine riches" that God has
prepared for us in Heaven.
Our true treasure and birthright is to be
united with our Creator. Our hear t should always be set on being united with
God and not on the material things of this world. What's usually considered
important in this world is not what God wants. "You cannot be the slave
both of God and of money" (Lk 16 : 13). What do we choose?
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary
Time 2026
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for
yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed
into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is
also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small
matters is also dishonest in great ones.” Luke 16:9–10
Today’s Gospel begins with a perplexing command: “Make friends for
yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed
into eternal dwellings.” At first glance, Jesus seems to present a
contradiction. How can wealth that is described as “dishonest” be something we
are encouraged to use to make friends?
In this passage, the phrase “dishonest wealth” does not refer
primarily to money obtained through immoral means, such as theft or fraud.
Rather, it refers to this world’s temporal wealth, which is often tainted by
human sin and selfishness. It is “unrighteous” in that it is fleeting, easily
misused, and frequently becomes an idol. Yet Jesus teaches that even this
worldly wealth can become a source of grace when used rightly—that is, when it
is placed at the service of the Kingdom of God.
To “make friends” with this wealth means to use it for works of
mercy: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, caring for the poor, and
supporting the Church. These acts of love create spiritual bonds—“friends” who
will, as Jesus says, “welcome you into eternal dwellings.” The saints and the
poor who benefit from our charity may become our intercessors before God. In
this way, temporal goods are transformed into eternal treasure.
Think about money. How do you see it? The lure of money is strong.
It’s very common for people to daydream about becoming rich. We might imagine
the nice vacations we can take, the new car or homes we can purchase, and the
temporal security we could enjoy. As a side thought, we might also think about
the good we could do for family and others.
Because this lure is often strong, we need to be vigilant when it
comes to money and material possessions. It’s easy to justify wealth, just as
the Pharisees did. But what Jesus said to them, He will also say to us when we
are overly attached to wealth and use what we have selfishly: “You justify
yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of
human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke
16:15). The selfish attachment to
money and material possessions is “an abomination in the sight of God.”
This can be difficult to hear, so it is beneficial to meditate on
this Gospel passage. Everything Jesus said is meant to draw us out of the
foolishness of sinful attachments—abominations is God’s sight—and into the
wisdom of spiritual purity and poverty of heart.
Jesus follows His lesson on dishonest wealth with a lesson in
integrity: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also
trustworthy in great ones.” Faithfulness in seemingly minor responsibilities
reveals the moral character that prepares us for greater spiritual stewardship.
In God’s eyes, material wealth is a very small matter—that is, God doesn’t hope
and pray that we are generous because He needs our money. He desires that we
are generous because of the virtue it forms in us, as well as the benefit it
brings to others. If, therefore, we misuse even the very small matter of
material wealth, how can we be entrusted with the true riches of grace?
Reflect today on how you see money. How deeply does it affect your
imagination, your choices, and your peace? The pull of wealth is strong, but
grace is stronger. If you find within yourself any disordered desire for
material gain, ask our Lord to purify your heart. Pray for the grace to see
wealth not as an end, but as a means to serve others, to advance the Gospel,
and to grow in virtue. In the end, what matters is not how much we possess, but
how faithfully we have loved with what we’ve been given. Use every temporal
good in a way that echoes into eternity.
Most
generous Lord, all that I have is Yours. You are the Origin and Sustainer of
all things. Please free me from every inordinate desire for money and material
possessions. Grant me the grace to keep my eyes fixed on the true riches of
Your grace, mercy, and the promise of eternal life. May I offer all that I am
and all that I have to You, for Your glory, and for the salvation of souls.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening
Prayer: Lord God, you alone are worthy of my deepest love
and devotion. Purify my heart of every attachment that competes with you, and
teach me to use the goods of this world in the service of your kingdom. Grant
me the grace to be trustworthy in small and great matters, to seek your
approval above human esteem, and to treasure the riches that endure forever.
Encountering
the Word of God
1.
The Dishonest, but Prudent Steward: In the Gospel
of Luke, Jesus has just justified his outreach to sinners and addressed the
parables of the lost and found to the Pharisees. With the Parable of the
Dishonest Steward, he turns his attention to the proper use of wealth. Earlier,
Jesus spoke of a faithful and prudent steward (Luke 12:42). Yesterday, he
presented a dishonest but prudent steward (Luke 16:1–8). Although Jesus does
not commend the steward’s dishonesty, he challenges his disciples to learn from
the man’s foresight. Jesus now explains the parable by drawing out three
lessons. First, earthly wealth should be used to prepare for eternal life.
Second, faithfulness in small matters reveals whether we can be trusted with
greater responsibilities. Third, we cannot serve both God and mammon. These
lessons are closely connected: our use of earthly possessions reveals what we
value, and our everyday decisions form our hearts for either faithful service
or selfishness. Jesus repeats the need for trustworthiness. If we are dishonest
in small matters, we will be dishonest in great ones. If we are unfaithful with
what belongs to another, we cannot expect to be entrusted with what is truly
ours. The lesson is straightforward: our relationship with material possessions
is not separate from our relationship with God. How we handle money, fulfill
obligations, and treat those who depend on us reveals the kind of stewards we
have become.
2.
Make Friends with Dishonest Wealth: Jesus commands
his disciples to make friends for themselves with “dishonest wealth” so that,
when it fails, they may be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The expression
refers to earthly wealth, which belongs to a fallen and passing world and can
easily become an occasion for injustice and sin. Jesus is not encouraging his
followers to acquire money dishonestly. Rather, he teaches them to use material
possessions in a way that serves eternal purposes. As Gadenz explains, Jesus
calls his disciples to use their wealth to prepare for an eternal welcome, just
as the steward used his resources to secure a welcome into earthly homes (The
Gospel of Luke, 282). The difference is that Christian generosity must be
rooted in righteousness and charity. We cannot buy our way into heaven, but our
willingness to share what we have can demonstrate that our hearts belong to
God. Jesus also calls wealth “what belongs to another” and contrasts it with
“true wealth.” Our earthly possessions are entrusted to us for a time; they do
not constitute the lasting riches God desires to give us. True wealth includes
the life of grace, growth in holiness, communion with God, and the inheritance
of eternal life. Faithfulness in managing temporal goods prepares us to receive
these greater gifts. This teaching invites us to examine our priorities. Do we
use our money merely to increase our comfort and security, or do we also
consider how it can relieve suffering and support the work of the Gospel? Do we
regard our possessions as exclusively our own, or do we recognize our
responsibility to those in need? When we give generously and act justly, we
demonstrate that material wealth is our servant rather than our master.
3.
Serving God Rather Than Mammon: Jesus concludes
with a stark warning: “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon represents
wealth when it becomes an object of trust, devotion, and allegiance. Money
itself is not evil, but it can become a rival to God when we allow it to
determine our decisions and shape our desires. We may profess to serve the Lord
while making financial security, possessions, or social status the ultimate
measure of success. The Pharisees provide a sobering example. Luke tells us
that they loved money and sneered at Jesus’ teaching. Their response reveals
the problem: rather than allowing the Word of God to challenge their
attachments, they dismissed it. Jesus exposes the contradiction between their
desire to justify themselves before others and the condition of their hearts
before God. What people admire is not necessarily what God values. The
temptation to seek human esteem remains powerful. We may measure success by
income, possessions, professional standing, or the admiration of others. We may
even use our wealth to create an appearance of generosity while neglecting the
poor or avoiding the demands of justice. Jesus reminds us that God sees beyond
appearances. He knows whether our actions arise from love or self-interest. The
remedy is not necessarily to abandon every possession, but to place everything
at the service of God. We must cultivate detachment, practice generosity, honor
our obligations, and remain willing to sacrifice material advantages when
faithfulness requires it. Above all, we must ask whom we are serving through
our daily decisions. When we love God above all things, wealth can become an
instrument of charity rather than an object of devotion. Our hearts are freed
to pursue the true riches that only God can give.
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary
Time
“The person who is trustworthy in very small
matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in
very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” Luke 16:10
What are the “small matters” in life? Most
likely, if you asked many different people from all walks of life this
question, then you would receive many different answers. But if we consider the
context of this statement of Jesus, then it is clear that one of the primary
small matters of which He speaks is our use of money.
Many people live as though the attainment of
wealth were of the highest importance. There are many who dream of becoming
rich. Some regularly play the lottery in the very unlikely hope that they will
hit it big. Others dedicate themselves to much hard work in their careers so
that they can advance, make more money and, so they believe, become happier as
they become wealthier. And others regularly daydream about what they would do
if they were rich. But from the perspective of God, material wealth is a very small
and unimportant matter. Money is useful insofar as it is one of the ordinary
means by which we go about providing for ourselves and our families. But it
truly is small in importance when it comes to the divine perspective.
With that said, one way to be entrusted by
Jesus with “great” matters is to use your money appropriately. We become
“trustworthy” in this small matter of money when we only give it the value that
it has. In other words, we must see money only as one means to the end of
fulfilling God’s perfect will. When we work to rid ourselves of excessive desires
and dreams of riches, and when we use what we have in accord with God’s will,
then this act on our part will open the door to our Lord to entrust us with
much more. What is that “much more?” It’s the spiritual matters that pertain to
our eternal salvation and the salvation of others. God wants to entrust to you
the great responsibility of building His Kingdom on earth. He wants to use you
to share His saving message with others. But He will first wait until you show
yourself trustworthy in small matters, such as using your money well. And then,
as you fulfill His will in these less important ways, you will begin to see Him
call you to greater works.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants
great things from you. The goal of all of our lives is to be used by God in
incredible ways. If this is something you desire, then do every small act in
your life with great care. Show many small acts of kindness. Try to be
thoughtful of others. Put others’ needs before your own. And commit yourself to
using the money you have for God’s glory and in accord with His will. As you do
these small things, you will begin to be amazed at how God is able to begin entrusting
you with more, and, through you, great things will happen that have eternal
effects in your life and in the lives of others.
My trustworthy Lord, You were entrusted with
the greatest good ever known. Your Father in Heaven entrusted to You the
salvation of the world. Please help me to share in this task by being faithful
to Your holy will in every small way. As I seek to serve You in the small
matters of life, I pray that I will be able to be used for even greater ones.
My life is Yours, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday
31st Ordinary time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I love you above all things. A day
in your heavenly court is better and worth more than all the kingdoms of this
world. I choose to serve you today and help my brothers and sisters in need.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Make Friends with Dishonest Wealth: The purpose of the Parable of the Dishonest
Steward is not to invite us to practice dishonesty, act fraudulently, or “cook
the books,” to help ourselves. When Jesus reveals the meaning of the parable
(Luke 16:9-15), he refers to how the steward was prudent to use “dishonest
wealth” to be welcomed into earthly dwellings. Likewise, we are to use our
earthly wealth to be welcomed into eternal dwellings. If the dishonest steward
was prudent enough to plan his earthly future to receive a welcome into
people’s homes, how much more ought the faithful and prudent steward of the
Lord prudently plan a heavenly future to be welcomed into the Lord’s eternal
dwelling (see Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 282). Drawing out the
lesson, Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters: “Those who trust in
wealth are in effect serving mammon as if it were a god. Faithful disciples
will instead serve as good stewards of all that God has entrusted to them, generously
sharing what they have with others” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke,
283).
2. We are Known by God: When we read passages like Romans 16:3-27, it
raises the question of why so many passages in the Bible are lists of names.
For example, the early chapters of Genesis are full of genealogies. The Book of
Numbers includes the results of two censuses of the people of Israel. The first
9 chapters of 1 Chronicles are a list of names. Isn’t there a better use for
entire chapters of God’s revealed Word? What is God telling us in these
chapters that we are tempted to skip over? One important truth is that we are
known and loved individually by God. The Bible doesn’t just record the stories
of great rulers but includes the names of humble family members. Name after
name after name… And while we know almost nothing about them, they are fully
known by God. Another truth that comes out in Paul’s conclusion to the Letter
to the Romans is that we form one family in Christ. He is eager to greet all of
his brothers and sisters when he finally gets to Rome.
3. God knows your Hearts: Not only does God know each one of us by name,
but God, as Jesus teaches in the Gospel, knows our hearts. Jesus calls out the
Pharisees because they presented themselves as holy on the outside, but inside
were full of corruption. Human beings can see the outside of a person and their
exterior works. But God can see the heart and judge it. It has been said that
we barely know our own hearts. It is difficult to know why we choose to do what
we do or to say what we say. And yet, all of this is known to God. He can see
our hearts when they are prideful and when they are humble, when they are full
of sorrow and when they are full of joy, and when they act with purity of
intention and when they are selfish. As the Letter to the Hebrews teaches:
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged
sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to
discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from
him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must
render an account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Sáu Tuần 31 Thường Niên. Luke 16:1-8
Có một câu
chuyện kể rằng, Ở làng nghèo xứ đó, có hai mẹ con sống với
nhau trong cảnh nghẻo túng, Khi người con trai lớn lên, anh đã yêu một người phụ nữ, nhưng người phụ nữ này không tha thiết với anh ta lắm.
Vì thế có một lúc anh ta đã nói với cô ta rằng: anh sẽ làm bất cứ điều gì cô ấy muốn nếu
cô ấy đồng ý kết hôn với anh ta. Cô ta
nghe thế mới nói đùa với anh ta la: "Tôi sẽ chỉ đồng ý kết hôn với anh nếu anh móc trái tim của mẹ anh ra và mang đến cho tôi. Chỉ bằng cách này, anh mới có thể chứng minh được tình yêu của anh " Thế rồi tối hôm ấy, trong bóng tối của màn đêm
anh chàng trai này đã vào phòng của mẹ anh, lấy dao nhọn và đâm vào long ngực mẹ mình, anh ta cắt trái tim của mẹ mình, cầm trái tim rên tay với bàn tay vấy máu và chạy
tới nhà của người phụ nữ anh yêu. Nhưng trong
khi chạy với trái tim của mẹ
anh trong tay, anh vấp ngã. Trái tim của mẹ anh đã nói
với anh: "Hãy cẩn thận, con
trai của mẹ."
Người con trai si tình đã nghĩ sai khi tin rằng nếu anh ta có thể có được trái tim của mẹ mình, anh ta sẽ giành được chiến thắng và chiếm được trái tim của người phụ nữ anh yêu.
"Hãy cẩn thận con trai của mẹ..." mẹ của anh dường
như đã nhẹ nhàng nhắc nhở anh: rằng " Hãy cẩn thận con
ơi, Tìm cho đúng nơi để đặt trái tim của con,
con trai của mẹ. "
Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, ông chủ
ca ngợi người quản lý không phải vì sự bất trung, xảo
quyệt của người đầy tớ, nhưng vì sự thận trọng, biết tính
toán tương lai của anh ta. Qua 2 câu chuyện, Chúa Giêsu đã dạy chúng ta ngày hôm nay là nếu
chúng ta muốn trở nên con cái thực sự và đáng yêu của sự sáng, chúng ta cần phải đoán quyết,
biết sáng tạo và khôn ngoan trong việc xử dụng thời gian và nỗ lực của chúng ta trong việc theo chân Chúa
khi chúng ta thực hiện các hoạt động và sinh hoạt
trần thế của chúng ta.
Friday 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Rom.
15:14-21; Lk. 16:1-8
Once there
lived a poor mother and her son. When he grew up, he fell in love with a woman
who was not serious about him. He told her he would do anything she ask if only
she would marry him. Half in jest, she told him: “I will only marry you if you
cut out your mother’s heart and bring it to me. Only in this way can you prove
your love.” In the darkness of the night he went into his mother’s room, took
from his belt a knife and plunged it into her breast. He cut her heart and run
with bloodstained hands towards the home of his loved one. As he ran
with the heart of his mother in his hands, he stumbled and fell. His mother’s
heart said to him: “Be careful, my son.” The son wrongly believed that if
only he could get the heart of his mother he would win the heart of the woman
he loved. Be careful my son…” It was as though his mother was gently
reminding him: “”be careful where you put your heart, my son.”
In today’s gospel, the master praises the steward not for his dishonesty but
for his prudence.
Jesus is teaching us today that if we are to be real and effective children of
light we need to be decisive, creative and wise in spending our time and effort
in following God’s as we carry out our worldly activities.
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary
Time 2026
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was
reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What
is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because
you can no longer be my steward.’” Luke 16:1–2
At first glance, today’s parable can be puzzling and even
unsettling, as Jesus appears to praise deceit. However, when read in light of
Catholic tradition, its deeper spiritual meaning becomes clear and richly
instructive. This parable is not about how to succeed in the world, but about
how to live wisely in view of eternal life.
In the parable, the steward is accused of squandering his master’s
goods, which is a serious offense. Facing dismissal, he devises a plan to
reduce the debts owed to his master, hoping to earn favor with the debtors so
that they might welcome him into their homes once he is out of a job. The
master does not praise the steward’s dishonesty, but he does commend his
prudence and shrewd foresight in preparing for the future. This becomes a
symbol of the diligence we must exercise to prepare our souls for eternal life.
The steward finds himself at a moment of reckoning. He must give
an account of his stewardship. The steward’s moment of judgment mirrors the
spiritual truth that we are called to give an account of how we have used our
time, talents, and treasures. The steward poses a question to himself: “What
shall I do?” That same question ought to echo within our own hearts. How do
I prepare now for what comes next?
It is tempting to live as if this life were our final end, as if
earthly success, comfort, and security were our primary goals. Though we may
hope in Heaven, its mysterious and intangible nature can lead us to treat it as
a distant dream rather than a present reality.
The moment when the steward is called to account, however, does
not simply symbolize the hour of our death. Rather, it points to this present
moment. Each day, we are called to live in such a way that we are continually
preparing to meet our Lord. Every decision, every act of charity, every use of
our material resources is part of our ongoing accounting before God. Knowing
that our time in this world is short in comparison to eternity, our ongoing
question for self-reflection is: “What shall I do today to prepare for Heaven
and eternal glory with the angels and saints?” This is not a selfish question
when we understand the correct answer.
The act of reducing the debt of his master’s debtors reveals the
wisdom of forgiveness, charity, and mercy. If we spend this life helping others
reduce their debt before God—by evangelizing, witnessing to His mercy, and
giving of ourselves selflessly and sacrificially—then when we stand before the
Just Judge at the end of our earthly lives, God will commend us for acting with
His wisdom, prudently fulfilling His divine will by living charitably toward
others. Of course, we do not reduce others’ debts apart from God; we help them
discover and accept the forgiveness Christ has already won for them, lessening
the burden of sin through grace.
Like this steward, the best way for us to prepare for Heaven is to
help reduce the debt others owe to God. Sin incurs a debt. Though Jesus fully
paid that debt by His Passion and Death, the merits of His Sacrifice apply to
us only when we humble ourselves before God and change. We reduce another’s
debt before God when our lives help others turn from sin and accept God’s
mercy, poured forth from the Cross, because we wisely and charitably helped
them to change.
Reflect today on how God is calling you to be a steward of mercy.
Whom can you help to turn toward God? What debts can you help reduce? By
drawing others to Christ, you also prepare your own soul for the eternal reward
He promises. Turn your eyes to Heaven and live this life with that eternal
perspective, and you will be prepared to give a full accounting of your
stewardship before God when the time of accounting has begun.
My
Lord and Just Judge, Though You have fully paid the debt of sin that I owe, You
ask that I humble myself before You to receive that precious gift. Help me to
open my heart completely to Your mercy and forgiveness, and then to go forth
diligently, seeking ways to help reduce the debt of others. May my life be a
witness to Your grace, drawing souls to conversion, so that together we may
share in the eternal rewards of Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
Friday of the Thirty-first Week
in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Lord
God, you have entrusted me with many gifts and blessings. Teach me to
administer them with wisdom, generosity, and integrity. Deliver me from the
temptation to seek merely earthly security, and help me to use the goods of
this world to attain the riches of your Kingdom. May I prove faithful in my
stewardship and prudent in preparing for the eternal dwelling you have promised
your children.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Parable of the Dishonest
Steward: The Gospel of Luke often praises the blessings of poverty
and warns us about the dangers of wealth. Today’s parable concerns the wise
administration of earthly wealth to attain eternal glory. While the steward in
the parable is dishonest but prudent, Jesus’ disciples are called to be both
trustworthy and prudent. The steward manifests a whole series of vices. He
squandered and mismanaged his master’s property. He was unwilling to undertake
manual labor and too ashamed to beg. Finally, he engaged in fraud when he
reduced the debts owed to his master. One debtor owed one hundred measures of
olive oil, and the steward reduced the amount by half. Another owed one hundred
measures of wheat, and his debt was reduced by twenty percent. Jesus’ parables
often employ an unexpected twist. Here, instead of the master simply flying
into a rage, he commends the dishonest steward for acting prudently. Jesus
explains that the children of this world are often more prudent in dealing with
their own generation than the children of light. The steward recognized that
his position was about to end and acted decisively to secure his future. Jesus’
disciples should show at least as much foresight in preparing for their eternal
future. If the steward acted shrewdly to secure a welcome into earthly
dwellings, how much more should we use our earthly wealth to prepare for a
welcome into heavenly dwellings?
2. Making Friends with Earthly
Wealth: Jesus’ teaching does not endorse the steward’s dishonesty.
Rather, he draws attention to the steward’s foresight and determination. The
steward knew that his present position would not last forever, so he used the
resources available to him to prepare for what lay ahead. Jesus calls his
disciples to exercise similar foresight, but with a different purpose and
through righteous means. Earthly wealth is temporary, and its value depends on
how we use it. Money can be hoarded for personal comfort and prestige, or it
can be used to provide for the poor, support the Church’s mission, and serve
those in need. When we share our blessings with others, we make friends through
our generosity and prepare for the day when earthly possessions will no longer
be of use to us. The poor whom we serve, and the good accomplished through our
generosity, become part of our preparation for eternity. Jesus will make this
lesson explicit in the following verses: “Make friends for yourselves with
dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal
dwellings” (Luke 16:9). The point is not that we can purchase salvation, but
that genuine faith expresses itself in charity. We cannot take our possessions
with us when we die, but we can use them now to love God and our neighbor.
Christian prudence looks beyond immediate gratification and considers the
eternal consequences of our choices.
3. Prudence in the Service of
Faithfulness: The steward’s prudence is admirable only in a limited sense. He
recognizes his predicament and acts decisively, but he does so dishonestly. His
example challenges Jesus’ disciples to combine the foresight of the children of
this world with the integrity expected of the children of light. We must not
only ask whether our actions are effective, but also whether they are good and
pleasing to God. Prudence is the virtue that helps us discern the right means
to achieve a good end. Christian prudence requires us to consider how our
decisions affect our relationship with God and our responsibility toward
others. It leads us to plan for the future, resist impulsive spending, provide
responsibly for our families, and make generous provision for those who are
struggling. It also reminds us that our time, abilities, relationships, and
material possessions are gifts to be administered faithfully. Ultimately, the
Christian steward lives with eternity in view. We do not know when our earthly
stewardship will end, but we know that we will one day give an account of how
we used what God entrusted to us. Let us therefore imitate the steward’s
foresight without imitating his dishonesty. May we be wise enough to prepare
for eternity and faithful enough to use every blessing in the service of God
and our neighbor.
Friday of the Thirty-first Week
in Ordinary Time
Opening
Prayer: Heavenly Father,
today I remember my family members, friends, and acquaintances who have passed from
this life. I entrust each of them to your infinite mercy, praying that they may
be purified of every remaining attachment to sin and welcomed into the fullness
of your heavenly kingdom. Strengthen my hope in the resurrection of the dead,
deepen my love for those who have gone before me, and prepare me to share
eternal life with you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Gift of Eternal Life: The Gospel of John focuses especially on the gift of eternal
life. Jesus promises that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may
have eternal life and that he will raise them up on the last day. Eternal life,
therefore, is both a present gift and a future promise. Through faith in Jesus,
we begin to share in God’s own life here and now. We receive his grace, grow in
friendship with him, and are gradually transformed into his likeness. Yet our
journey toward eternal life is not complete when we first believe. Faith must
take root and bear fruit in a life of love and obedience. Although God desires
our salvation and offers us the grace we need to persevere, we must freely
cooperate with his grace. We can deepen our friendship with God through prayer,
the sacraments, and works of charity, but we can also wound or even reject that
friendship through sin. Our hope rests in Christ, who promises not to reject
those who come to him and who desires to lose none of those entrusted to him by
the Father. Today, as we pray for the faithful departed, we renew our hope that
God will bring his work of grace in us to completion and raise us to the
fullness of eternal life.
2. The Gift of Immortality: The passage from the Book of Wisdom offers another reason
for hope as we remember those who have died. It speaks of the souls of the just
as being in God's hands, beyond the reach of the suffering and apparent defeat
they experienced in this world. The Book of Wisdom provides one of the clearest
Old Testament affirmations of life beyond physical death, offering consolation
to those who trust in God's justice and mercy (Giszczak, Wisdom of
Solomon, 51). Wisdom distinguishes between physical death, which all human
beings experience, and the spiritual death that separates the wicked from God.
The righteous may suffer persecution and appear defeated in this life, but
their suffering does not have the final word. Like gold purified in a furnace,
they are tested and purified through their trials. In God's time, they will be
vindicated and shine forth in glory. This hope is rooted not in human strength
or achievement but in trusting communion with God. As Giszczak explains, faith
enables the righteous to understand the truth and abide in love; their final
communion with God fulfills the deepest desires of both intellect and will.
Truth and love are ultimately inseparable (Wisdom of Solomon, 52). The
gift of immortality is thus more than the continuation of existence after
death. It is the hope of sharing forever in the life of God. As we pray for our
departed loved ones, we entrust them to the One who knows their hearts,
purifies them in his mercy, and desires to bring them into the joy of his
presence.
3. The Gift of Union with Christ: The Letter to the Romans reveals the
foundation of our hope in eternal life and immortality: our union with Jesus
Christ. Through Baptism, we are united to Christ in his death so that, just as
he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
newness of life. Paul teaches that if we have died with Christ, we believe that
we will also live with him. Since Christ has been raised from the dead and
death no longer has power over him, those who belong to him can look forward to
sharing in his victory. This union with Christ is not merely a promise for the
future. It begins now as we die to sin and live by the grace of the Holy
Spirit. We must continually turn away from whatever enslaves us and grow in
holiness, virtue, and charity. Just as genuine faith bears fruit in good works,
our union with Christ should become increasingly visible in the way we love God
and our neighbor. On All Souls Day, we remember that our earthly pilgrimage
will end in physical death, but death does not have the final word for those
who belong to Christ. We pray for the faithful departed because we believe in
the communion of saints and entrust them to God’s merciful care. We also
examine our own lives, asking whether we are growing closer to Christ each day.
The more deeply we live in him now, the more confidently we can hope to share
in his Resurrection and dwell with him forever.
Friday
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023 -Luke 16:1-8
opening Prayer: Dear Lord, I come before you asking to
grow in faith, hope, and love. Grant me the grace to know and love you just a
little more today. May I listen to your words attentively so that I can respond
with deliberate obedience. Lord, I trust that you will give me what I need to
fulfill your holy will.
Encountering Christ:
1. “The Children of This World Are More
Prudent”: We note a tinge
of sadness in Our Lord’s comment, “For the children of this world are more
prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.’’ In
other words, people strive more intensely for the things of this world than his
followers do in pursuit of the kingdom of God. The children of the world engage
their intellect, will, and imagination to gain wealth, popularity, power, and
comfort. They know what they want and they pursue it. While the object they
pursue is ephemeral, the intensity with which they pursue it is admirable. Our
Lord wants to see his followers live with that same intensity. In the Book of
Revelation he says, “I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are
lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation
3:15-16).
2. Want the Kingdom of God: As Christians we believe in the primacy of
grace; therefore, we must principally rely on prayer and the sacraments to help
establish God’s kingdom in our hearts and in the world. However, it is a
frequent temptation to equate confidence in grace with indolence. St. James
writes, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does
not have works?... Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will
demonstrate my faith to you from my works” (James 2:14,18). Activism is relying
too much on our work without grace. Our faith should spur us to action. To be
obedient to God is to do what he asks, to take action. This does not preclude
that at times we must wait; however, eventually we must act. Docility to God’s will
and passivity are not the same thing; a race horse can be docile to the jockey
running at full speed.
3. Creativity Born of Desire: The church and the world need Christians
proactively seeking to serve where need is greatest. The saints have been
eloquent models of such initiative. St. John Bosco saw the displaced boys in
the streets due to the industrial revolution, so he started an orphanage and
trade schools. Dr. Moscati served his community as a medical doctor and
researcher. St. Katharine Drexel saw the struggles of African-Americans and
Native Americans, so she founded schools for them. St. Teresa of Calcutta saw
the homeless dying unloved in the streets, so she created homes for the dying.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through prayer and Scripture, but also through our
talents and the needs around us. We must prayerfully discern to see where and
how God is asking us to serve.
Friday 31st Sunday
in Ordinary Time (Rom.
15:14-21; Lk. 16:1-8)
We do not know how the administrator in the gospel parable was
failing to perform his duty for his master. Perhaps he had gotten lazy or had
gotten complacent and had stopped giving his best effort and so was merely
negligent or perhaps was actually incompetent. Whatever he had done or had
failed to do, it cost him his job. He does not seem surprised that his poor
performance has merited his termination. The really sad part is that it is his
notice of termination that prompts him to be creative, to be astute and to
finally get to work. If he had been this creative and diligent all along, he
probably would not have lost his job!
The scriptures
call us to not get lazy or complacent or to rest on our past achievements. All
of us have a task to do, a part to contribute towards the coming of God’s reign
and this work is ongoing throughout the whole of our lives. We cannot ever
think we’ve completed our part and deserve to rest in the sweet praises of what
we once had accomplished no more than we can delay until the approaching
termination of our days on earth to spark us into action. We are called to make
good use of the things of this world without becoming tainted by having used
them, always remembering that things are not what are most important and they
are always ultimately left behind. Lord, with Your grace and wisdom may we make good
use of the blessings we receive in this life to benefit ourselves and our
brothers and sisters.
