Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 6, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
Do you ever talk to yourself? The steward does (“The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do…”).
As do I. And oftentimes my “self-talk” can be quite negative.
When I wasn’t accepted into Notre Dame for undergrad it sounded something like this: “you aren’t smart enough.”
When I applied for Notre Dame’s Executive MBA program: “you probably won’t get in… again.”
When I contemplated (for over 5 years) writing a FaithND reflection: “you’re no theologian.”
When I finally asked and received this particular gospel passage: “ha, the dishonest steward parable… good luck figuring that one out!”
It’s clear to me now that God was also speaking during those times, but I wasn’t listening. To the above scenarios, he was saying, “Not yet. Yes, you will. Please do. I will help.”
Just recently, I had an insight about this negative talk… perhaps it’s not my voice after all? Perhaps it’s the evil one, disguised in my voice? It’s that same voice that can corrupt my thinking about money.
Jesus’ message to me in this reading is simply this: the wealth with which we have been entrusted is for serving others, so we must be wise and generous stewards so that we may inherit eternal treasures.
Later in this parable, Jesus says, “No servant can serve two masters.” This statement provides a way forward for me; I can choose to listen to the poisonous self-talk, or I can choose to listen to the unconditional love of the Holy Spirit. The choice is simple, although not always easy.
How about you… what voice will you listen to?
Prayer
Merciful God, you know that we fall short of our desire to follow you. Help us to see the ways that we, too, suffer from a lack of strength and an excess of shame that we may more readily confess, repent, and continue to serve you. Help us to depend more on those we love than on our own material resources, for it is in encountering others that we truly learn to serve and to love and therefore to follow you as we desire. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today, the Church in Ireland celebrates the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland. This is something of a regional version of All Saints Day, honoring the many saints and scholars of Ireland. It is a reminder to us of a rich heritage of Catholic faith that is rooted in Ireland, that grew across the sea with the many Irish immigrants who traveled here, and has blossomed in the American Church.
The official litany used in the Irish liturgy for this feast concludes with a prayer asking God for an increase in grace to all of “us who celebrate the memory of all the saints of our island.” Just as on earth, the Irish people rejoiced to “be one with them in race, so in heaven, may we deserve to share with them an inheritance of bliss.”
This stained glass image of St. Patrick stands in a reading room in the Hesburgh Library. Other great Irish saints whose stories have been told here include St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Laurence O’Toole, Patrick's driver, St. Odran, St. Kieren of Saighir, St. Angus the Culdee, the great explorer St. Brendan, and St. Columba.
Ireland has a particularly privileged place at the University of Notre Dame, and the University has important ministries in Ireland, including Teach Bhríde and the Newman Centre for Faith and Reason. Let us pray with the saints of Ireland today for their intercession for their country, which has such a special relationship with our University.
All the Saints of Ireland, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!