Stewardship Is The
Management Of Mystery
Thirty-Second Week of Year II Tuesday November 8, 2016
The Responsorial Psalm reminds us, “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord” (Psalm 37).
Titus 2: 1-14 shows us the
stewardship common to us all. Paul tells Titus to exhort every person in the
Church to live in a way that is “consistent with sound doctrine” — with
specialized instructions for different groups. Each has different challenges
and different graces with which to meet them. But all have a common
responsibility: to serve as faithful
stewards of Christ.
Stewardship
always implies waiting: being prepared to give an “account of our stewardship”
(Luke 16:2). When our lifestyle makes
it obvious that we are looking forward to sChrist’s coming, not just as “saved”
people anticipating heaven, but as responsible
people ready to account for the use we have made of the gifts entrusted to us,
we manifest wisdom, witness and stewardship. We recall this during the Rite of Communion at every Mass:
The grace of God has appeared, offering
salvation to all. It trains us to… live temperately, justly and devoutly in
this age as we await our blessed hope,
the appearing of… our Savior, Christ Jesus.
In
Luke 17: 7-10 Jesus explains that to
be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1Peter 4:10) we have to appreciate just how manifold, and how
magnificent, that grace is. If our whole concern is only to do “all [we] have
been commanded to do,” then we are “useless servants.” We have done our “duty”
and nothing more. This is the nearsighted stewardship of those who know nothing
to manage except laws, and nothing to be responsible for except observing laws
and policing others’ observance of them.
As
Peter explains it, to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” we need
to “serve one another,” not just according to human social obligations, but
“with whatever gift each of you has received.” We have to manage, and invest
wisely (with “end time” focus), not only our natural gifts and talents, but
also the supernatural gifts and empowerment that come through the “manifold
grace of God.” The salvation of the just
comes from the Lord.
Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must
do so with the strength that God
supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To
him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.[1]
The
truth is, Jesus does not call us servants any longer, “because the servant does
not know what the master is doing.” But, he says, “I have called you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything that I have heard from my Father.” Stewardship is to preserve this
precious knowledge and live according to it.[2]
Initiative:
Be Christ’s steward. Look ahead to the coming of the Lord.
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