HOMILY FOR 29TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY FOR 29TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “FAITHFUL AND PRUDENT STEWARD”
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus said to His disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute [the] food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
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The Gospel today continues yesterday’s teaching on readiness. In a nutshell, readiness simply means being a good and faithful steward at all time. This is because “for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
To illustrate this warning, the Lord uses the example of a thief breaking into one’s house. If one knows when the thief was coming, the master of the house would prepare and have everything well locked up. And he will stay vigilant and awake so that he can prevent the thief from entering his property. But the reality is that nobody knows the exact time when the thief will strike. Similarly, the coming of the Lord is like that of a thief in the night: “The Son of Man will come when you least expect him.”
Needless to say, readiness and preparation are of the essence. The key here is to be “faithful and prudent steward”. The Gospel today gives some basic elements in becoming such kind of steward. First, he must know his master well. This requires sufficient time of study and familiarization with his character and instructions in order to know his will. Although ignorance may be a mitigating factor, still it does not spare the offender from just punishment.
Second, knowing the master is not enough. Rather, the servant must always strive to put into practice what he knows. In the final analysis, it is doing what his master demands that truly matters. Otherwise, “that servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely.”
Third, a servant’s character can be seen in the way he deals with his fellow servants. Lack of compassion and kindness towards one’s fellow servants certainly displeases the master. This is shown in the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-35). It is but natural for the master not to trust a steward who does not have the respect and support of his fellow servants.
Jesus, then, lays down the principle in stewardship: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” All of us have received gifts and talents from God. But this is not a reason for boasting. Rather it should evoke in us some sense of fear and inadequacy in view of what the Lord demands. After all, these gifts are given according to the mission entrusted to each one. From some individuals, He expects more because He gives them more. As the famous quote from the movie ‘Spiderman’, says, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
It is truly sad that there are many people who willfully disregard this. Their God-given gifts are not only wasted, but are even used to harm other people and the world. How many scientists are using their genius to invent weapons of mass destruction? How many doctors use their noble profession in killing unborn babies and in tampering with the human body, such as sex change surgery? How many computer experts use their talents to hack sources of information and spread fake news for monetary gain? How many great minds are used in manipulation, lies and deceit in order to gain control and power? In short, these gifts are used against humanity and ultimately against God.
Definitely, this is not good stewardship. That is why, with each single day, the world is pushed closer and closer toward the edge of self-annihilation. And the time for such a cataclysmic event, though no one knows, is frighteningly near and real. Hence, to ignore this, thinking that “the master is delayed in coming”, is not only foolish but is a sure-fire formula for absolute disaster.
Let the following words of the great mystic, St. Teresa of Avila, remind us of our basic mission as stewards and servants of the Lord: “Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.”
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