XVII — OUR RICHES

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Presence of God. — O Lord, teach me to be a faithful and prudent administrator of your goods.

Meditation

1 — Today too, as last Sunday, in the Mass Epistle St. Paul sets in contrast the two lives that always struggle within us: the life of the old man, slave of sin and passions, from which fruits of death come; and the life of the new man slave, or better, son of God, from which fruits of life come: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.” Baptism made us be born to the life of the spirit, but did not suppress in us the life of the flesh. The new man must always fight against the old man; spirit must struggle against matter. Baptismal grace did not exempt us from this struggle, but made us capable of sustaining it. We must be well convinced of this in order not to deceive ourselves, in order not to be dismayed if, after long years of spiritual life, certain battles still reawaken in us, battles we perhaps thought we had overcome forever. This is our condition: “man’s life on earth is a militia” (Job 7:1), so much so that Jesus said: “the kingdom of heaven is taken by force” (Mt. 11:12). But continual struggle must not frighten us because grace has made us children of God and, as such, we have every right to count on his fatherly help: “You have not received the spirit of servitude to fall back into fear, but the spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry: ‘Abba, Father’” (Ep.). And, to strengthen our faith in this great truth, he adds: “The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God.” It almost seems the Apostle wants to tell us: it is not I who tell you this, but the Holy Spirit who tells you and attests it within you. The Holy Spirit is in us; in us He supplicates the heavenly Father; in us He awakens trust and confidence: you are not servants - He tells us - but children. What do you fear? Here are our great riches: to be children of God, co-heirs of Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit.

2 — Under the veil of a parable at first glance somewhat disconcerting, today’s Gospel teaches us to be prudent in administering the great riches of the life of grace. In proposing this parable, Jesus certainly did not mean to praise the conduct of the “unfaithful” servant who, after stealing throughout the time of his service, continued to steal even when he learned he had now been dismissed. Yet He praises the servant for the prudence with which he knew how to provide for his tomorrow. The teaching of the parable turns precisely on this point: “the children of this world are more prudent in their generation than the children of light. And I tell you: make friends for yourselves with the mammon of iniquity, so that when you fail, they may receive you into eternal tabernacles.” Jesus exhorts us, “children of light,” not to be less prudent in providing for our eternal interests than “children of darkness” are in securing earthly goods.

We too, like the servant of the parable, have received from God a patrimony to administer: these are natural gifts, but especially supernatural gifts with all that ensemble of graces, holy inspirations, and promptings to good that God has bestowed on us. For us too the day of reckoning will come, and we too shall have to acknowledge that we have been many times unfaithful in trading God’s gifts, in making the riches of grace bear fruit in our soul. How, then, to remedy our infidelities? Here is the moment to put into practice the teaching of the parable by which, says St. Augustine, “the Lord admonishes all to make use of earthly goods to make friends with the poor. These in turn, become friends of their benefactors, will be cause of their admission into heaven.” In other words, it is a matter of covering our debts toward God with charity toward neighbor because, as Sacred Scripture says, “charity covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pt. 4:8). And it is not only material charity, but also spiritual; not only great things, but also small, even very small, like a cup of water given for love of God. These little acts of charity, always within our reach, are the riches with which we heal our debts and put in order “our administration.”

Colloquy

“O Lord, it is your Spirit that fights in me within me. You have given me the Spirit with whom to put to death the deeds of the flesh. Moved by your Spirit, I sustain the struggle because I have a valid help. My sin struck me, wounded me, cast me down; but You, my Creator, allowed Yourself to be wounded for me, and with your death You conquered mine. I bear in me human fragility, I still bear the chains of first slavery, I have in my members a law opposed to the law of the mind and wanting to drag me slave under the law of sin; the corruptible body still weighs down my soul. Though I feel myself firm by your grace, yet as long as I continue to carry your treasure in this earthen vessel, I must always suffer because of my weakness. My firmness, to stand fast against all temptations, are You. If temptations multiply and put me in fear, You are my refuge. ‘My hope are You, You are my inheritance in the land of the living.’

“Oh, how much I owe You, Lord my God, since I was redeemed by You at so high a price! Oh, how much I must love, bless, praise, honor, glorify You, since You so loved me! I will give praise to your name, O Lord, who made me capable of so great a glory as to be your child. To You I owe all I have, all that serves my life and all that I know and love. Who has anything that is not yours? You, Lord our God, lavish your gifts on me, so that enriched by You I may serve You and please You and every day render You thanks for the many benefits of your mercy. In no other way can I serve You or please You except by employing your own gifts” (cf. St. Augustine).