Daily Readings - Fri Nov 08 2019
Romans
14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.15I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done--19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.21Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."
Luke
1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.2So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg--4I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'5"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'6"'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'7"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'"'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'8"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of stewardship, wisdom, and faithfulness. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul speaks of his own mission as a steward of the Gospel, entrusted with the grace to preach to the Gentiles. He humbly acknowledges the gifts God has given him and expresses his confidence in the Roman church, which he believes is filled with love and knowledge. Paul’s words remind us that every Christian has a role to play in spreading the Gospel and building up the Body of Christ. The second reading from Luke presents us with the parable of the dishonest steward, who, faced with losing his position, uses his master’s resources to secure favor with others. While the steward’s actions are morally questionable, Jesus praises his prudence, emphasizing the importance of using worldly resources wisely for eternal purposes.
These readings are connected by the idea of responsibility and the wise use of what has been entrusted to us. Paul sees himself as a steward of God’s grace, while the dishonest steward in the Gospel uses his master’s wealth shrewdly, albeit for self-serving ends. Together, they challenge us to consider how we use the gifts, talents, and resources God has given us. The key is not to hoard them or use them selfishly but to employ them in a way that serves others and advances the Kingdom of God. Just as the steward in the parable thinks ahead to secure his future, we too must think about how our actions today will impact eternity.
In our daily lives, this means being faithful in small things, using our time, talents, and possessions with integrity and purpose. It also means being prudent and forward-thinking, not just for our own benefit but for the good of others. As St. Paul reminds us, we are all called to be ministers of Christ, each in our own way. Let us strive to be wise stewards, using what we have been given to build up the Church and to bring light and hope into a world that so desperately needs it. May we, like Paul, be confident in God’s grace and, like the steward, be shrewd in our pursuit of eternal treasure.