HOMILY FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C
THEME: Note that your resources will fail one day.
BY: Fr. Justus Oruma
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2022
(a) It is true that the things of this world, namely; riches, wealth, positions of authority, time etc. are temporal and will pass away and fail.
(b) This understanding eludes us most at times and we maltreat, manhandle, abuse and intimidate people that are less privileged, especially with our riches or positions of Authority. Prophet Amos brings this out succinctly: “We will buy the lowly for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals” (Amos 8:6) What an abuse of the human person because of riches or position of power! This is the bane of the social injustice. St. Paul begins the Letter to Timothy asking for prayers and supplications for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity. (1Tim2,1-2)- and that we may know that our positions will one day pass away.
(c) Jesus praised the dishonest steward, not for being dishonest but for being astute and understanding that his position as steward will soon end and for seeking to make good use of the little time he has, to find for himself a better state when everything ends. What do you make with the time, health, wealth, money, power and authority you now have? What do people around you feel about these? Do you buy them for a pair of sandals? Do you play indifference to their plight? Be astute and know that your resources will fail and end one day. Jesus puts it clearly: “make friends with your tainted wealth so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. (Lk. 16:9). If you manhandle and deal with people with these passing things, how much more will they suffer if you are given eternal power, eternal authority, eternal place? There comes the denial of eternal life as Jesus says; “if, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?- with the eternal life. Our wealth is resourceful if only it can promote the poor and the needy and purchase us a place in heaven when everything fails. May God make us astute as to understand this.