25th Sunday Year C - Homily 3

Homily 3 - 2013

I think that the message of today’s parable is very similar to the message in the parable of the Prodigal Son: Take a punt that God is good, and be ready to be surprised that God’s goodness exceeds even our greatest hopes.  Probably, tonight’s parable was no more about the use of money than the parable of the sower was about careful crop management.  But Luke uses the parable, nevertheless, as a peg on which to hang three or four different and unconnected teachings of Jesus on attitudes to wealth and income.  Many of us burn up lots of physical and nervous energy on issues of wealth and income – or at least on life-style issues that are dependent on them.

In dedicating his life to what he called the Kingdom of God, Jesus ultimately was concerned to show us how to live life to the full, and how to blossom and grow in a social order where people trust each other, help each other and are safe.  History shows us how hopeless we have been at all that - though it is not all doom and gloom, despite the daily TV news programs.

I find the Lord’s Prayer a consistent corrective, calling me, as it does, to prioritise, and to make the centre of my life, the Kingdom of God – a truly better world.  It invites me to align with God’s will [which is no great mystery, but simply unadulterated, no expectations, undeserved, consistent and relentless love, not just for me but for everyone].

Then I pray: Give us this day our daily bread – not, give me my bread [which is unfortunately what I often mean] but give us our bread.  In fact: Give us this day our daily bread.  I see that as a prayer for “enough”, but not for “more than enough”.  How much is enough? Enough for what? Enough to live life to the full, to blossom and to grow.  And God hears our prayer.  Our earth is wonderfully fertile.

In a few minutes, as Mass continues, a couple of you will bring some bread and wine to the table, and I shall pray to God, as spokesperson for all of you, Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands.  The work of human hands is important, but those hands work with what is already fruit of the earth, of this fertile earth, that is not of our making, but is simply so – gift of the creative God.

Ultimately, everything is gift – gift to be used, but, firstly, to be appreciated.  Our approach to life is so much richer when we accept everything simply as gift.  A thankful heart is not a heavy heart.  Seeing our world as gift means not seeing it simply as mine, to be possessed and accumulated and to be hung on to selfishly – but as given to us by God.  Give us this day our daily bread – Be appreciative; Be generous.

Luke reported Jesus’ saying: If you cannot be trusted with what is not yours [but  gift], who will give you what is your very own [integrity, love, faithfulness, etc.].  If we can start with the unassuming attitude of being appreciative and content with enough, we are on the way to life to the full, to human blossoming and wonderful personal growth.  But we cannot have it both ways.  We cannot live “in a world of our own where no one else can share” – a world dominated by money –  and at the same time blossom into the beautiful persons God calls us to be.  We cannot be slave of God and money.

Perhaps, it all boils down to whether we are prepared to trust God and God’s goodness; whether, like the prodigal son and the unjust steward, we are prepared to take the punt that God is good.