08/11/2024

"No one can serve two masters" begins Jesus' summary of his discourse that starts with today's Gospel reading. This is perfectly clear to me but the parable of the dishonest steward has always been hard for me to grasp. It seems to tell me that we can learn from dishonest business practises how to live as Christians, honest to God.

The continuation of this preaching makes it clear that Jesus is not praising dishonesty but warning us not to get tied into the standards of the material life of the era into which we are born. He is not telling us that the excuses of the military as at the Nuremburg Trials  "I was only following orders" or the ubiquitous "everybody else does it" of the pilferer of trifles "from work" and the killers of the unborn are ever acceptable to Our Father who always means what he says. "Thou shalt not kill", "Thou shalt not steal".

We are judged by how each one of us has upheld the will of God during our lifetimes. 

We are not judged by our adherence to  the Splendour of Liturgy and depth of Theology of the descendant of the Church founded on St Peter.

We are not judged by our nationality. "In God we trust" stamped into coinage means nothing to our loving Father and just Judge.

We are always free to decide for ourselves how we, who naked at birth, have been clothed first with parental love and cultural heritage, and, as we grew to adulthood, ever more absorbed our worldly culture chose between it and the revealed will of Our Father in our daily lives.  At death our soul again naked has to be ready to face IAMFATHERSONANDHOLYSPIRIT who knows how we have cared for his gifts to us.

God is Love and he trusts us to accept The Bible as the complete revelation of His Loving intentions for creation. It brings Truth into the world. It is the Light which we keep on ignoring as Mammon continues to captivate us by ever new material power and pleasures. We are all souls and become the Children of Light, even in this world when we prepare ourselves to receive the Grace created for us by our Incarnate FATHERSONHOLYSPIRIT on Calvary. 

We are always free to choose. I hope that I am doing so correctly at this moment.

Dear Lord, I always begin the day with the wish to do your will but frequently get it wrong. My hope is always for forgiveness as I am guilty of sinning far too often in this world and thus resisting the grace that you show to all the world on Calvary. May myself and all the sinners of this world become worthy of  your trust that you reveal in our freedom of will which we far too often misuse in our defiance of you. May my unspoken prayers clear my mind so that I can be ever open to your grace which is directed to your Church by Mary, Angels and Saints from their place with you. May all the Holy Souls continue in the realization of what they missed on earth and thus thank you continually in their suffering atonement. May those for whom I now pray in my heart become aware of your grace and turn away from the world of sin once more into your embrace. Amen