Luke 16:1-13

Encountering Christ:
God Calls Me to Be a Steward: The Gospel uses the image of a steward to describe our place in this world. A steward is entrusted to care for the master's property until his return. Time on earth is limited, and we will eventually need to give an account of our stewardship. ‘In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts!' (Pope Francis, March 19, 2013). What precious goods has the Creator placed in our care?

Be a Smart Investor: We need to be wise and prudent with worldly investments to provide for ourselves and those under our care. This Gospel challenges us to apply similar strategies to our spiritual lives. We have been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit for our growth and the good of the Kingdom of Christ. No one has the same gifts because all of us have been given unique and irreplaceable missions by God. May we properly evaluate our investment priorities so that we won't gain the whole world but end up losing our soul. (Matthew 16:26)

A Training Ground: Today's parable invites us to train ourselves in the art of spiritual investment once we have set our priorities. The Church has left us with troves of spiritual treasures; we can learn from the lives of the saints their spiritual writings, and commentaries on the Scriptures. We have recourse to the sacraments, different forms of prayer, retreats, and spiritual guidance. The resources are there. How is the Lord inviting us to deepen our relationship with him?