HOMILY FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C
THEME: You cannot be the slave of both God and money.. God or money?
BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2022
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
GREEN
*INTRODUCTION*
Dear brethren, today we celebrate the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time of year C.
*FROM OUR FIRST READING*
In our first reading today, we heard the Lord speaking through the prophet Amos to His people regarding the wickedness committed by some among the people, in tricking and manipulating others for their own personal gains and advantages. He spoke on cheating on their customers by overcharging thier goods and services, by using the means of this world to gain advantages for themselves for more material possessions and wealth on the sufferings and losses from others.
*FROM OUR SECOND READING*
In our second reading today, St. Paul reminds each and every one of us to turn away from worldliness and reject the excesses of worldly desires and greed, as well as resisting the temptations of our pride and ego, which often can become our downfall unless we put our conscious effort and commitment to the Lord wholeheartedly, rejecting the efforts and works of Satan and his allies in trying to subvert us to the wrong path.
*FROM OUR GOSPEL READING*
Today, the Gospel introduces us to the figure of the unfaithful steward: a man rendering a fraudulent service to his master. He is just a simple steward, but behaves as his master.
Jesus continues to say: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.
If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
*WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM TODAYS LITURGICAL READINGS?*
In todays liturgy, Jesus helps us to make a distinction between money and genuine riches. He makes a distinction between earthly treasures and heavenly treasures. He is calling on us to be resourceful and decisive in the pursuit of genuine riches, by becoming servants of God’s vision for our world rather than servants of earthly treasures.
*CONCLUSION*
Let us be wise and prudent with worldly riches and how we acquire them. May we properly evaluate our thirsty for money and riches of this world, so that we won’t gain the whole world but end up losing our soul.
Have a Blessed Sunday everyone.
