The Gospel this Sunday urges us to exercise caution about how we use money and wealth. Jesus tells a parable about a rich man who hired a steward to manage his property. The steward was dismissed for being wasteful with the property but prior to leaving he drastically reduced the debts of his servants, gaining the praise of his master.
The message of the parable can prompt us to consider our attitude towards money. Of course is ok to have money, we need a certain amount of it to make a living, but it is what we do with it that makes the difference. It is important not to let money control us or we will be enslaved by it as Jesus indicates in today’s Gospel “You cannot be the slave both of God and of money”.
The love of money and putting our faith in material things can prevent us from seeing what is really important. We brought nothing into the world and we can’t take anything with us. We can use money therefore to make friendships and build a civilisation of love in this world while we await the ‘genuine riches’ in the eternal kingdom that God promises us in heaven.
Through advertising and the mass media material things seek to bring us happiness but it is often instant and momentary. The consumer culture today promises us instant communication anywhere on handheld devices but once the initial thrill is over we are often left searching for the next gadget to come on the scene. Pope Francis recently tweeted ‘Seeking happiness in material things is a sure way of being unhappy’.
There are many imbalances in the world and a vast range of situations where we are called to be socially responsible which can make us think about how we spend our money. The principles of Christian Social Doctrine challenge us to determine our true needs and to give to the poor from what we have left over, and there are many worthy causes which demand our attention. Sharing our resources can lead us to a new conversion in our faith, and help us to be more loving in our lives. When we trust in God’s goodness we do not need to worry about His provision for us. God takes care of our true needs.
