Good and Bad Stewards
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
For a shorter option of today’s Gospel reading, please visit: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Luke 16:1-13 - 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.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
“For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 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. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
To love means to choose in some way. When we think of choosing something (a meal, or outfit, or activity), we focus on what we get. But choosing isn’t just about what we receive, it is also about giving up other possibilities. When we choose the pasta meal, we don’t get the hamburger meal. When we choose the red shirt, we don’t get the green one. When we choose to attend the party, we don’t get to attend the movie. So when we choose, we gain what we most want and forfeit the other possibilities—good ones and bad ones.
When we choose to follow Christ, we not only give up everything bad, but we also give up some good things. Certainly, God doesn’t want to take our spouse, or family, or other good things away from us. That isn’t the point. The point is that we must consider whether there are there some good things in our lives that are crowding out God? Are long workouts and practices crowding out prayer? Is frequent, unnecessary spending crowding out charitable giving? Are tournaments or leisure travel crowding out Sunday Mass? There’s a limited amount of room in our hearts. We must decide: To what will our hearts be devoted? Are our hearts devoted to God and other people, or are they devoted to other things? We cannot serve God and other things. We must choose.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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