Homily for Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Cycle I
Theme: The Parable of the Dishonest Steward.
By: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
Homily for Friday November 5 2021
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Romans: 15:14-21
Psalm: 97:1-4
Luke: 16:1-8
*HOMILY THEME*:
*INTRODUCTION*
In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples using the parable of the dishonest steward, which may sound rather strange to us if we do not understand the context of what we have been hearing, and what actually the Lord intended to tell the people and His disciples using that parable. In that parable, we heard the Lord relating the story of a dishonest steward who was about to be dismissed from service because of his alleged mismanagement of his master’s property.
*EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE IN THE GOSPEL OF TODAY*
That dishonest steward is a representation of those who have been wicked and unfaithful, a rebuke and criticism which the Lord actually made against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in an indirect manner, because they had acted in the same way as that dishonest steward. How is that so? That is because the dishonest steward who had been dishonest in his dealings and in his mismanagement, chose to commit even more vices and selfish deeds to preserve himself. In doing what he had done, he in fact had proven that what was alleged about him regarding his mismanagement was likely to be true.
*CONCLUSION*
As Christians, all of us are reminded to distance ourselves from this attitude and way of life. Worldly things and matters like money and possessions by themselves are not inherently evil, but it is our desire and attachment to them which led us to disobey the Lord and to fall into the path of evil. As such, like St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle and as we have heard regarding his actions and works, first and foremost we have to seek the glory of God and focus ourselves on Him rather than to focus our attention on ourselves. We must strive not to indulge our ego and desires.
MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND DEAR FRIENDS!
Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA