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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - 22/9/2013 - Gospel: LK 16: 10-13
Stewardship
We believe God has called each of us to be a steward of his creation. God has entrusted certain gifts for us to be steward of them and God expects us to use them well. God trusts us completely and requires neither interview nor test before entrusting the gifts into our hands. The parable seems to suggest that trust is the most important element that we need to do in our lives. Because when we are trusted in small thing we are given more important things with greater responsibility.  God's gifts to us are free and we are freed to utilise God's gifts with our own freewill. We are free to use the gifts and are accountable for the usefulness of the gifts given. It means we should use the gifts to benefit for own good and for the good of others. We are accountable for wasting any of talent, for neglecting opportunities to share the gifts with others and for having applied our talents toward things that the Master is not interested in. When we do that we act like the man in the parable - mismanaging the gifts. It happens when we, no matter how brilliant the purpose, are ultimately aiming for selfish gain and neglecting to show love for our neighbours. It is no matter how clever we are selfish attitudes can't be hidden from the Master and we are accountable before Him at the time he chooses to reveal it. The best way to avoid the odds is trying our best to be honest. The good motto is that what benefits God's people on earth also benefits us in eternal life. When we use God's gifts to share to others in love we gain more trust from God.

Jesus is drawing a contrast between the "sons of the world" and the "sons of light". We are wiser in the things we do when we have more time for it. The unjust steward has spent more time for things of the world he then has less time for the Master. Once he knew he was about soon to finish, instead of conversing to the Mater and serving with honestly he went the opposite direction by cheating the Master, making friends of his Master's debtors in the hope that they would take care for him once he lost his job. Dishonesty influences by wealth arises from his heart that leads him to commit unrighteous acts. Wealth is not inherently evil, but the use of it determines what sorts of man we become. The unjust steward saw his Master's resources as a means for personal gain and advancement. Jesus wants His followers to be just and righteous. Good stewards are not working for instant rewards but aiming to gain more trust from the Master and the everlasting reward which is visible for the eyes of faith to come. An unjust steward causes damages for the Church much more than the benefits from his labour. We should place everything at the Master disposal, including our own life.

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