Daily Readings - Fri Nov 05 2021
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, responsibility, and the wise use of the gifts and resources entrusted to us. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul speaks of his own stewardship as a minister of the Gospel. He humbly acknowledges the grace God has given him to serve the Gentiles and to spread the Gospel far and wide. Paul takes pride not in his own achievements but in the work Christ accomplishes through him. His words remind us that our lives are not our own but are entrusted to us for the service of others and the glory of God.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the shrewd steward, a man who, faced with losing his position, acts prudently to secure his future. While the steward’s actions may seem morally ambiguous, Jesus uses this story to highlight the wisdom of using worldly resources in a way that builds lasting relationships and secures eternal benefits. The sons of this world, Jesus notes, often show more ingenuity in managing temporal affairs than do the sons of light. This challenges us to consider how we use the resources, talents, and time God has given us. Are we as clever and intentional about living for God as others are about living for the world?
These readings call us to reflect on our own stewardship of God’s gifts. Like Paul, we are called to use our talents and resources to serve others and to build up the Body of Christ. Like the shrewd steward, we are invited to think creatively and act wisely, not for selfish gain, but for the sake of eternal treasures. Let us ask ourselves: How am I using what God has given me? Am I living in a way that reflects my ultimate purpose—to love God and to love my neighbor? May we strive to be faithful stewards, using all that we have to glorify God and to prepare for the eternal life that awaits us.