Homily For Friday Thirty- First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th November 2024

 

Readings: Phil 3:17-4:1, Ps.121, Luke 16: 1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO PRUDENTLY USE THE RESOURCES ENTRUSTED TO YOU TO WIN YOUR SALVATION

The elements of good and bad seem inherent in every human person, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our world today. But even in the midst of all these ugly situations, we are expected to be wise and smart in our deals with the things of this passing world.

Little wonder, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus tells the parable of this dishonest steward who, having acted unjustly and having been exposed by his master, went to great lengths to make friends of his master’s debtors in order to secure his future. In this parable, Jesus is not telling us to be dishonest, but he wants us to know that we can learn, even from this dishonest servant, how to prudently use the things of this passing world to gain our salvation.

Thus, Jesus points out that we, too, should be smart but not exactly like the dishonest steward, using dishonest wealth to exploit others as most rich people do today. No, instead, we, his disciples, are to use our wealth to win souls for the kingdom and safeguard our souls.

But more importantly, if we understand the principle that says that everything we own is a gift from God, then we will realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s work and not the contrary. In this context, we are told to be generous with our resources and use them for the safety of our souls and the growth of God’s kingdom.

For we heard St. Paul in our first reading saying: I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, many are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for.

Dear friends, today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regard to our vocation as Christians. How can we best harness the things entrusted to us so that they can be a source and midst of safeguarding our souls surrounded by corruption and greediness? We are called today to be wise and smart, for if worldly-minded people can be smart in their dealings, we, too, should be smarter in our struggles for the salvation of humanity. We should utilize the resources available to us and use them to secure our salvation.