FROM THE PASTOR Dear Friends of Saint Kevin, IRA’s, 401Ks, stocks and bonds, mutual funds, savings account, these are all investment possibilities that people use to financially secure their future. There are risks, but people invest in them now because they want to have a future return. But there are no guarantees. Realizing how people use the goods of this world to ensure the future, Jesus makes a sad statement in today’s Gospel: For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. Jesus criticizes the children of the light for not using the goods of this world to ensure their future with an eternal place in heaven. Who are the children of light? They are the followers of Jesus. Some say, Jesus never talked about money and possessions. The fact is that Jesus talked about it in parables, in direct teachings, and in the example of his life. Jesus called his disciples to understand that nothing is their own no matter how much they earned, how hard they worked, or whose name is listed as owner. For the children of light, everything belongs to God. We are but stewards of what God has given us. We are to use everything that we have to serve God. This becomes clear in the parable of the dishonest steward in today’s Gospel. It seems strange that Jesus would hold up a crook as a good example. The teaching becomes clear when we understand Jesus’ call, I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Does this mean that we are to steal from one and give to another? NO, not only do we hear Jesus condemn dishonesty, which makes one untrustworthy, we strongly hear in our first reading how much the Lord despises those who steal, especially from the poor. When Jesus says to make with dishonest wealth, it appears that he is reminding us that when we use our time, talents, money and possessions for our own good, we are using what belongs to God. It is not ours. We are like the steward who uses his master’s goods so as to ensure his own future. We must use the Divine Master’s goods to help ensure our future in heaven. Maybe we, the children of light, need to see the importance of giving our time, talents and treasure as a means to gain eternal life. We do all this because we know that the future will come, and we want to be secure in heaven. The Scriptures today call us to take a look at how we are doing with what we have been given. It becomes clear that we must steadily invest the time and talents and treasures that God entrusts to us to help build up his Kingdom. Only then can we be prudent, trustworthy children of the light. I just want to thank everyone at St. Kevin Parish for your time, talent and treasure that make us so great. Sincerely in Christ, Father John C. Moloney
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 19:22:44 +0000
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