HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
HOMILY THEME: KEEP VIGIL AND NEVER STOP DOING GOOD
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
HOMILY:
(Lk. 16:1-8)
In the day’s Gospel Jesus again lift life situation in order to give a religious message. They are called parables. They are stories which attract listeners and identify themselves easily to the characters and the situation. In this case, Jesus tells the story of a dishonest steward. Jesus used the character in order to stress the message of sincerely preparing for one’s spiritual future. The reader of the parable might be distracted by the dishonesty of the steward. How can Jesus give such a person as an example? But close examination will reveal that Jesus was actually praising the stewards prudence.Having been found unworthy of his manager’s trust due to his mismanagement of resources, he went to talk with those who owed the owner and struck a deal which will seal his future. In the end, Jesus praised the steward and aptly pointed out that the “children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”
This is very prevalent today given the various schemes being used by criminals. Just today, some balikbayans were swindled of their hard earned money after trusting a kababayan who posed as a fellow OFW and convinced them to stay with her in a hotel while waiting for their flight back home in the south. We can enumerate so many schemes which had been effectively staged by criminals. Many fell in the trap and lost a lot of money, jewellery, gadgets, and other valuable things. I myself had lost a phone without noticing it had already been taken from my pocket. A documentary revealed that these criminals practice a lot so that they will not be detected. They size up their victims and create a scenario which will allow them to dupe them. We are aware of the “laglag barya gang,” “dugu-dugo gang,” “akyat-bahay gang,””salisi gang,’, etc. They use teamwork, distraction, intimidation, confusion, and even hypnotism, if only to achieve their goal.
Jesus mentioned the “children of this world.” He was referring to these people who had seriously mastered their craft in doing evil. Jesus tells us to follow them. Not in committing evil but in mastering our craft so that we can do good to others. Against evil, let us master the art of honesty, charity, justice, love, forgiveness, patience, knowing the faith, defending the faith, and other Gospel values. Let us use everything in our disposal to aid our doing good. Let us spend time researching on them and mastering them that they will become automatic in us. Satan does not rests and will always strike when we are weak. It is for this reason that Jesus told us to keep vigil and never stop doing good when the opportunity comes and look for them when none is at hand. If satan spews evil, let us respond by flooding the world with goodness.
