Fr. Gabriel AZEEZ

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and enlighten you the more as you go through this reflection. I will like to begin this homily with one of my favorite songs “All I have is given to me by the Lord, all I have is given to me by the Lord”. From this song, we can deduce two fundamental things about our existence, first, that nothing good is earned or owned by our effort alone. Secondly, that everything belongs to God as suggested in Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lords and everything in it”. The song did not say, some I have or part of my things, but it says, “ALL”. I am laying emphasis on this “all” because the way some of us live and behave suggest that we own all and we can do all things by ourselves, neglecting the fact that all we have is from God  and what  we are is not alien to God.

 

In our world today, we are often tempted to think in terms of ownership. “My house, my job, my money, my time, my car, my career, my children and many other things.” Yet, Scripture reminds us repeatedly that all we have, our lives, our talents, our resources are gifts from God.

 

Today, the Gospel reading serves as a warning to those who carries themselves as semi-demi-hemi  god, that they should not forget their role, that we are not the owner of our lives, we are not the master of others, we are just a mere servants, caretaker, stewards and custodians. Jesus tells us to act like servants waiting for their master. That is the role of a steward, someone entrusted with something precious that belongs to someone else. We may want to ask, but I worked for all that I have achieved, I paid for my wife’s dowry, I sponsored my children through all levels of education, I built my company with my hard-earned money, why are you telling me that I am not the owner or master of my properties?  Beloved, don’t get it twisted, all you have achieved doesn’t make you the owner or master of them all, rather a faithful steward who have utilized everything that has been entrusted to him wisely.

As a faithful steward, what is expected of us to be done? Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds at work when he arrives.” (Luke 12:42-43)

 

The life of a faithful steward is a call to faithfulness in daily life not in grand, dramatic acts, but in the ordinary. The little duties: honesty in our jobs, kindness in our homes, diligence in our work both in Church and at home, compassion in our communities especially to those who are underprivileged, taking every moment as the moment that the master will come. The Book of Proverbs says, “A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eagers to get rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:20. Faithfulness in small things is the surest way to prepare for bigger responsibilities.

Unfortunately, we have more pretentious individuals both in the Church and in the community, who pretends to be striker, midfielder, winger, defender and even goal keeper at the same time in the presence of the priest or their manager at work, but behind the priest or the manager, they are nothing than spectators alone.

 

Another thing that is required of a faithful steward is readiness, not Fear. Jesus does not speak of fear, but readiness rooted in love and trust: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”. This is one of the tenderest statements in all the Gospels. God is not a harsh master, but a loving Father who desires to share His kingdom with His children. But love does not cancel responsibility. In fact, love increases it. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much. The more God entrusts to us our time, our health, and our influence, the more we are called to use them in the service of His kingdom.

Let us take a pause to imagine how God will judge our generation and age which He has blessed with so much enlightenments to make Himself known to us, beautiful technologies to bring us closer to Him but unfortunately, the more we receive the more God eludes us.

 

Let me round up this homily with this last point. Stewardship is a way of life, true and faithful stewardship is not just about money or volunteering. It is a way of life, a way of seeing everything we have as a sacred trust. It touches how we use our time, how we treat people, how we forgive, how we raise children, how we speak, how we prepare for our death, how we invest in things that really matter to God which is our soul and how we live. The parable ends with the sudden return of the master. This is not meant to instill panic but to inspire purpose. Life is short, unpredictable. The question is not “When will He come?” but “What will He find me doing when He comes?” So today, and every day, let us live as faithful stewards, alert, watchful, generous, and joyful ready to meet the Master not with fear, but with the satisfaction of a life well-lived in His service.

 

Let us pray: Lord, help us to remember that we are stewards, not owners. Teach us to be faithful in the small tasks, responsible with our gifts, and always ready to meet you with joyful hearts. May we live each day with eternity in view, Amen.