Saturday – Thirty-first Week – OT2

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Saturday – Thirty-first Week – OT2

 

Readings: Phil 4:10-19; Lk 16:9-15.

1/ First Reading: NAB Philippians 4:10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you revived your concern for me. You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity. 11 Not that I say this because of need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. 12 I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. 13 I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. 14 Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress. 15 You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not a single church shared with me in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone. 16 For even when I was at Thessalonica you sent me something for my needs, not only once but more than once. 17 It is not that I am eager for the gift; rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account. 18 I have received full payment and I abound. I am very well supplied because of what I received from you through Epaphroditus, “a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

2/ Gospel: NAB Luke 16:9 I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. 11 If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? 13 No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. 15 And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”


I. THEME: Know how to use material things.

            Material things are a two-edges knife; if people know how to use them, they shall benefit their owners; if people don’t know how to use them, they can hurt their owners; even causing them to lose their life, both this present life and the life to come.

            Today readings give some examples of those who know how to use matreial things and some who know not. In the first reading, St. Paul praised his faithful, the Philippians, who knew how to use their material things to share their love for him and to benefit the evangelization. St. Paul knew that God shall bless them with His grace because they knew how to use their given material things. In the Gospel, Jesus taught people how to use material things to benefit them with spiritual things. He seriously warned people the “serving two masters” attitude, consider God as equal to material needs.

II. ANALYSIS:

1/ Reading I: Know how to use material things to benefit oneself and others.

1.1/ St. Paul praised the Philippians’ proper use of money.

            – He praised them not because he needed their money: The Philippian community is probably St. Paul’s most beloved community because they expressed gratitude and concerned for his needs. However, St. Paul praised them not because of their money because he wasn’t greatly depended on material things as he said, “Not that I say this because of need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.”

            – He praised them because of their love which were expressed by their caring: Many people can only see material things, but Paul could see the Philippians’ love and caring. He said, “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you revived your concern for me. You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity… Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.”

1.2/ The Philippians recognized what Paul has done for them and returned their favors:

            – Many people receive favors, but not many recognize what they received as favors; they may consider them as others’ duty or too busy to recognize them. If they don’t acknowledge them as favors, they shall not recognize the giver’s love for them. St. Paul established many communities and he had love for all of them; but only the Philippian community is the only one who recognized his love for them and returned their favors. St. Paul thanked them for their love: “You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not a single church shared with me in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was at Thessalonica you sent me something for my needs, not only once but more than once.”

            – God demands the faithful to help the evanglizers because of their faith and many blessings they received from them. People easily recognized material helps than spiritual blessings. For example, faith is the priceless gift which God bestows on people through the evanglizers’ preaching of the Gospel; and the benefits which come from faith aren’t limited only to next life, but also actualized in this present life. Due to faith, people can bear fruits abundantly, and the first fruit is charity. St. Paul pointed out this for the Philippians, “It is not that I am eager for the gift; rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.”

 

1.3/ God shall return the Philippians’ generosity: The gifts that people offer to God through the evanglizers shall be abundantly compensated. The material things belong to God and He gives to men for using. If people know how to use them as the Philippians, God shall continue to abundantly give to them. St. Paul knew this and he prayed for the Philippians: “My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

2/ Gospel: Learn how to properly use money.

2.1/ Using money: Not many people know how to use their money properly, some wasted them, some are controlled by them. The one who knows to use them properly, will not waste money on unnecessary things; but use money to benefit himself and others, such as:

            (1) Using money to develop his talents which are necessary for his life as registering classes, buying books or equipments. He can also provide a scholarship for those who need them or contribute money to researching organizations which will benefit humankind.

            (2) Using money to help the poor: Chapter 25 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew teaches: God considers what we did to the poor as we did to Him. Jesus also said in today Luke’s passage: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.”

2.2/ Let show fidelity to God by our properly using of money: Life is a battlefield to learn and to experience; it is also an opportunity for God to evaluate people through:

            – fidelity in small things: “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.”

            – fidelity in using the “unrighteous mammon”: “If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches?”

            – fidelity in using others’ properties: One was hurt when he lost his own thing or child more than what belonged to others: “If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”

2.3/ A servant cannot serve two masters: Not like in today society, a slave or a servant of Jesus’ time could only serve one master. Even now one can serve two master, the degree of loyalty cannot be equal: “for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  

            The same thing happens in serving God: “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Many of us have a counter view with Jesus for they think they can serve both God and mammon. Jesus gave us an example of the Pharisees: “who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they sneered at him.” There are some because they liked money so much that they have no time for God, even to attend Mass one hour in the whole week.

III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:

            – All material things of this world belong to God and He gives to us to use them. We aren’t the owners, but only the stewards.

            – We must learn how to use them to benefit ourselves and others; at the same time, to store up for ourselves spiritual benefits in the next life.

            – We can’t serve two masters and catch fish with two hands by wishing to have both heavenly kingdom and worldly pleasures.

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