20181024
RESPONSIBILITY AND
STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GIFTS
24 OCTOBER,
2018, Wednesday, 29th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Ephesians 3:2-12 ©
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The pagans now share the same
inheritance
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You have probably heard how I have been
entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a
revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery, as I have just
described it very shortly. If you read my word you will have some idea of the
depths that I see in the mystery of Christ. This that has now been revealed
through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in
past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that
they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to
them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel. I have been made the servant of that
gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his own power. I, who
am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special
grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ
but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the
ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that
the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how
comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he
had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold
enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Isaiah 12 ©
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The rejoicing of a redeemed people
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With joy you will draw
water from the wells of salvation.
Truly, God is my salvation,
I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song,
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
With joy you will draw
water from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to
his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to
the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his
name.
With joy you will draw
water from the wells of salvation.
Sing a psalm to the Lord
for he has done glorious
deeds;
make them known to all the
earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,
for great in your midst is the
Holy One of Israel.
With joy you will draw
water from the wells of salvation.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn10:27
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my
voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Mt24:42,44
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 12:39-48 ©
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The Son of Man is coming at an hour you
do not expect
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Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You
may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the
burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his
house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.’
Peter
said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord
replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the
master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at
the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this
employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as
for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and
sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and
getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour
he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as
the unfaithful.
The
servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out
those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not
know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer
strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be
demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more
will be expected of him.’
RESPONSIBILITY AND STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S
GIFTS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 3:2-12; LUKE 12:39-48 ]
After Jesus spoke about
the householder keeping watch lest the burglar comes and breaks into the house,
Peter asked the Lord, “Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?”
The truth is that
stewardship and responsibility is the task of all, regardless what position,
state or rank we hold in life. We are all called to be good stewards of
the gifts God entrusted to us. No one is exempted and each is called to
give an account of what he or she has been given. “For we will all stand before
the judgment seat of God … So then, each of us will be accountable to
God.” (Rom 14:10,12)
How, then, should we
exercise responsible stewardship? Firstly, we need to know the mind of
our master. Jesus said,
“The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry
out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did
not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer
strokes.” Indeed, because we are stewards, not owners, we must understand
the mind, heart and wishes of our master. We must align ourselves with
the vision, mission and the core values of our master if we were to serve him
and his organization. For this reason, before we serve or work in any
organization, we must first understand the goals and values of the organization
and that of the leader.
Secondly, there are
various degrees of responsibility in stewardship. Not all of us bear the same
responsibility in any organization or community. Those who know more are
expected to fulfill the vision and execute the mission of the organization
accordingly. Those who are given less access or responsibility, less
would be demanded. We should therefore assume our responsibility
according to what is ours. We must make a distinction between the areas
of concern and the area of influence. Whilst we are concerned about many
things, we might not have the influence or the clout to make changes. So
we should not feel burdened simply because we cannot effect the changes we feel
should take place. We should accept their limitations and constraints.
When the time comes for us to be placed in positions of authority, then that is
the time we should act accordingly.
Thirdly, a good steward
is always passionate and committed in whatever he or she is appointed to do. He or she is ever ready and
watchful of the situation. The Lord said, “What sort of steward, then, is
faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give
them their allowance of food at the proper time?” There is no
compartmentalization in life. Life is always holistic. We have
responsibility to different groups of people in our life. There is no
such thing as time off from our responsibilities. Whenever we are needed
to take action, we should be there and ready.
Fourthly, responsible
stewardship creates trust and confidence. Unless we are responsible with what is
entrusted to us, we cannot be given more. Jesus said, “Happy that servant
if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will
place him over everything he owns.” We should never worry about promotion
and prospect in any organization. We should not allow ambition to dictate
the efforts we put into our work. Rather, we should learn to be
responsible in what we are given to do. When we do them well, more will
be given to us. This is the natural process of how things develop.
Trust begets trust. As Jesus in the gospel said, “When a man has had a
great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had
a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.” In another
place, He said, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been
trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter
into the joy of your master.” (Mt 25:23)
Today, in the first
reading, St Paul shows what true stewardship is all about. Firstly, he
was grateful for the gifts that the Lord had given to him in spite of his
unworthiness. “I have been made
the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his
own power. I, who am less than the last of all the saints, have been entrusted
with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite
treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be
dispensed.” He was aware that he was not worthy to be Christ’s servant,
especially when he had persecuted the Christians. But because he was
chosen, St Paul gave himself completely to the Lord and the gospel. St
Paul was fully aware that the gift he had received was not for himself but for
others. “You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the
grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the
knowledge of the mystery, as I have just described it very shortly.”
Secondly, he was aware
of the plan of God for humanity. He understood the mind of our heavenly
Father and that of His Son. He knew that Christ was that infinite treasure of God
given to us. The mystery of God’s plan was revealed to him. He
wrote, “If you read my words, you will have some idea of the depths that I see
in the mystery of Christ. This mystery that has now been revealed through the
Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past
generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are
parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in
Christ Jesus, through the gospel.”
Thirdly, St Paul
understood that the plan of God was revealed in and through Christ Jesus. “Through all the ages, this has
been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the
Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how
comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan, which he had
had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough
to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.” The
Good News is about Christ who is God’s revelation to humanity. It is
therefore Christ that St Paul proclaimed. “He is the source of your life
in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption.” (1 Cor 1:30)
Consequently, today, we
must exercise good and responsible stewardship in our family, Christian
community, society and country.
We are all householders of some sort. Jesus said to His disciples: “You
may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the
burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his
house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.” We must be responsible in our duties towards our
loved ones at home, in church and in our place of work. There is no place
for a Christian who is lazy, self-indulgent and irresponsible.
Unfortunately, many of
us are irresponsible householders. The irony is that we often take our loved
ones for granted. This is particularly so in family
life. Members of the family do not play their part to keep the house in
order. Some simply take from the family and the house, without
contributing anything to the family. They want to enjoy the free meals
and the free accommodation but they would not contribute to the expenses of the
family, clean the house or take care of the children and the
elderly. We push the work to our domestic helper or some members of
the family who are more self-sacrificing. This can also happen in the
work place where we are sloppy and irresponsible in our projects and
work. Others will have to mop up after us and correct our mistakes and
negligence. Proper stewardship is often lacking also among Christians in
their faith. Many of us do not impart our faith to our children through
words and good examples. We do not nourish and nurture our faith and
hence we fail to share the plan of God for humanity with others as Paul did.
So today, let us turn to
the Lord once again for direction and for inspiration. Listening to the exhortation of the
psalmist, we say, “Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. With joy you
will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Let us “give thanks to the
Lord, give praise to his name! Make his mighty deeds known to the
peoples! Declare the greatness of his name, sing a psalm to the Lord! For he
has done glorious deeds, make them known to all the earth!” Let us reveal
His plan of salvation to all by our proper, diligent and responsible exercise
of good stewardship of the graces we have received, whether temporal or
spiritual.
Otherwise, there is a
warning of accountability.
“But as for the servant who says to himself, ‘My master is taking his time
coming,’ and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and
drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect
and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to
the same fate as the unfaithful.” Indeed, Jesus said, “You too must
stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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