Phil 3:17—4:1 Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 Lk 16:1-8

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

The Gospel reading for today is the parable of the dishonest steward. It is at first rather confusing, but can certainly be enlightening when it is understood. The steward is supposed to handle his master’s monetary affairs but has been doing so dishonestly, collecting profit for himself as well. His master discovers this and relieves the steward of his position. While he can still work, the steward is trying to figure out what he will do for his future. He concludes that his best option is to collect the accurate amount of money from his master’s debtors so that he can benefit, not monetarily, but from being in favor with those debtors.

It is not the steward’s dishonest actions that Jesus condones. Rather Jesus encourages the resourcefulness the steward uses to watch out for his future. He is “acting prudently” and putting forth intense effort. Jesus calls us to do the same for our spiritual lives, to persevere in holy and righteous acts. It is not enough to say, “I believe;” we must be “imitators of [Paul]” who is an imitator of Christ.

In the reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we are asked to not let our “minds [be] occupied with earthly things.” In the Gospel, the steward puts forth the effort to care for his future, a concern of the earth. If we will put forth as much effort in concern for heavenly things, God will grant us the graces needed to “stand firm in the Lord.”

It is not by our efforts alone that “he will change our lowly body to conform to his glorified Body.” Actually, it is God’s graces that enable such an amazing change. But by our efforts we call upon God to make us holy and to make us better able to accept those graces that he so freely offers. So, “let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” where our “citizenship” rests and where “we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”