"Maabtik pa sang sa mga tawo sa pagpatikang sang ila mga bulohaton"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 16:1-8)

Biyernes (Nobyembre 8)

Si Jesus nagsiling sa iya mga gintuton-an, “May isa ka manggaranon nga tawo nga may enkargado. Ini nga enkargado ginsumbong sa iya nga nagausik lang sang pagkabutang sang iya amo.

Ginpatawag niya ang iya enkargado kag ginpamangkot, ‘Ano ining nabatian ko nahanungod sa imo? Hatagi ako sing husay sang akon pagkabutang nga gintugyan ko sa imo, kay pahalinon ko ikaw.’

Ang enkargado nagsiling sa iya kaugalingon, ‘Ano bala ang himuon ko, kay pahalinon ako sang akon amo? Wala ako sing kusog sa pagkutkot, kag nahuya ako magpakilimos.

A, nahibaluan ko na kon ano ang akon himuon, agod nga kon wala na ako sing obra may mga abyan ako nga magabaton sa akon sa ila mga puloy-an.’

Gani ginpatawag niya ang tanan nga mga tawo nga nakautang sa iya amo. Sa nahauna nagpamangkot sia, ‘Pila ang utang mo sa akon amo?’

Nagsabat ang tawo, ‘Isa ka gatos ka barel nga lana sang olibo.’ Ang enkargado nagsiling sa iya, ‘Yari ang imo listahan. Pungko ka kag isulat nga 50 lang.’

Sa isa na man nagpamangkot sia, ‘Kag ikaw, pila ang utang mo?’ Nagsabat sia, ‘Isa ka libo ka sako nga trigo.’ Nagsiling sa iya ang enkargado, ‘Yari ang imo listahan. Isulat nga 800 lang.’

Ang amo sining di-matarong nga enkargado nagdayaw sa iya bangod sang iya pagkaabtik, kay ang mga tawo sining kalibutan maabtik pa sang sa mga tawo nga yara sa kapawa sa pagpatikang sang ila mga bulohaton.”

Prayers:

"Lord Jesus, all that I have is a gift from you. May I love you freely and generously with all that I possess. Help me to be a wise and faithful steward of the resources you put at my disposal, including the use of my time, money, and possessions."

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

Do you make good use of your money and possessions? Jesus seemed to praise a steward (a manager entrusted with his master's goods) who misused his employer's money. What did the steward do that made Jesus praise him? The steward was responsible for managing his wealthy landowner's property. The steward very likely overcharged his master's tenants for their use of the land and kept more than his fair share of the profit. When the landowner discovers the steward's dishonest practice he immediately removes him from his job, leaving him penniless and ashamed to beg or do manual work. Before news of his dismissal becomes public knowledge, the shrewd steward strikes a deal with his master's debtors. In discounting their debts he probably was giving up his generous commission. Such a deal won him great favor with the debtors. Since he acted as the landowner's agent, such a deal made his master look very generous and forgiving towards those who owned him money. Surely everyone would praise such a generous landowner as the town hero! Since the master could not undo the steward's cancellation of the debts without losing face and making his debtors resent him, he praises the steward for outwitting him as a generous and merciful landowner.

Jesus obviously thought that the example of a very clever steward would be a perfect illustration for a spiritual lesson about God and how God treats those who belong to his kingdom! What's the point of Jesus's parable? The dishonest steward is commended not for mishandling his master's wealth, but for his shrewd provision in averting personal disaster and in securing his future livelihood. The original meaning of "shrewdness" is "foresight". A shrewd person grasps a critical situation with resolution, foresight, and the determination to avoid serious loss or disaster. Jesus is concerned here with something more critical than a financial or economic crisis. His concern is that we avert spiritual crisis and personal moral disaster through the exercise of faith and foresight. If Christians would only expend as much foresight and energy to spiritual matters which have eternal consequences as much as they do to earthly matters which have temporal consequences, then they would be truly better off, both in this life and in the age to come.

Ambrose, a 4th century bishop said: The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever. True wealth consists not in what we keep but in what we give away. Possessions are a great responsibility. The Lord expects us to use them honestly and responsibly and to put them at his service and the service of others. We belong to God and all that we have is his as well. He expects us to make a good return on what he gives us. God loves generosity and he gives liberally to those who share his gifts with others. The Pharisees, however, had no room for God or others in their hearts. The gospel says they were lovers of money (Luke 16:14). Love of money and wealth crowd out love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus makes clear that our hearts must either be possessed by God's love or our hearts will be possessed by the love of something else. What do you most treasure in your heart?