The WORD today reminds me that I should be wise with my earthly wealth.
When we say someone is wise with money, we usually associate it to good businessmen and investors who can make more with what they originally have. They are wise and know how to handle and increase their wealth. That is how the world looks at it. However, today I am reminded of something more. A wiser use of wealth.
A wise use of earthly wealth is to create heavenly ones.
A few years back, I read a book called “The Law of Rewards” and one of the main point it says is that we should invest in eternity. The book puts it that we are just travelers in this world, and heaven is our real home. We will just stay in this earth for a short time. That being the case, we should be wise and use whatever we have on earth to build our home for eternity. We should use temporary resources on earth to build our house in heaven, instead of holding on to it and enjoying it here
God wants us to use our worldly blessings to prepare for eternal ones.
In the gospel, we see the story of a dishonest steward. It was said that during that time, the stewards get a certain amount or percentage from the money the owners get. They have an automatic cut from the payments of the people. That is why when the steward found out he will be dismissed from work, he actually did not “cheat” the master to gain favour from the people. What he actually did was to take off his “cut” or his share in the amount, and just asked the people to pay exactly what will be given to the master. In that way, he found favour in the eyes of the people, and the master commended him for using his resources (or letting go of it) in preparation for his being fired from the job.
God has given us resources on this earth. And to live decently and comfortably, we don’t actually need a lot. What we spend is sometimes above and beyond the actual basics that we need. This is what God wants us to realize – that we should not enjoy too much that we forget other people. We are given resources not only for ourselves, but for us to help others as well. In doing so, we are not only doing good, but being wise as well. Money and everything in this earth will pass away. They will gather dust, and will be left in this earth when we die. We need to be prudent and wise with how we use what we have. As we use our resources to help others and build God’s kingdom, we are being wise and use these temporary resources to build our eternal home in heaven, just like what the first reading reminds us.
The pandemic is still very alive. We have just experienced strong typhoons. There are a lot of people who we can help and share God’s blessings to. We have a lot of opportunities to share God’s blessings and to act on what he is reminding us today. We just need t make the decision to do so, not just to be able to help others, but to prepare our eternity as well.
What are my blessings in life? What do I do with these? Do I solely enjoy these? Or am I generous enough to share them with others? What is God reminding me today?
May we live by the quote – live simply, so that others may simply live. And be wise stewards and prepare our eternal place in heaven by the temporary riches on earth.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live and to serve you. Thank you for your love. Thank you for all your blessings. Thank you for the very important reminder. Sorry for the times I focus too much on myself and my wants. Sorry for forgetting that there is eternity. Sorry for being self centered. Lord, help me use my resources properly. I thank you for providing for me and my family, and I make the decision to share whatever I have to others. I do not need a lot of things. I have more than enough, so I will share your gifts and blessings to others. Help me be generous not only with my material resources, but with my time, talent, and prayers as well. Create in me a heart that would always be sensitive to others, that would always be willing to be in pain as I be of service and blessing to others. May I be a happy giver for your kingdom. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 489
I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,
that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you,
because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God,
so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
by the power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum
I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel
not where Christ has already been named,
so that I do not build on another’s foundation,
but as it is written:
Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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 he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He 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 the children of light.”
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