Gospel: Lk 16:1-13
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.'  So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' He answered, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill and make it eighty.' And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

Introductory Prayer: Holy Trinity, One God, I love you above all things and believe in your love for me. I trust in you, you are my Creator, you are my Redeemer, you are my Sanctifier. From you I came, to you I will return. No material thing has any comparison to you.

Petition: Grant me a heart detached from all material things and completely attached to you so that I may love you and give myself only to you. Through this prayer, let me know more clearly what you want of me and how you want me to live.

1. Give me an accounting of your management

The steward in the Gospel has squandered his masters wealth, he has acted irresponsibly and as a result he is going to be fired. Before he leaves he must make an account of his time as steward. I too am a steward. I have been entrusted with the management of the gifts and talents God gave me. He has blessed me with my family, my intelligence, my qualities, my faith, time and so many other gifts. How good the Lord has been to me! But he has entrusted these gifts to me trusting that I will manage them well so that they will bear fruit. And a time will come when he will ask me to give him an account of my management. How have I been managing and using everything that I have received, everything that God has entrusted to me?

2. Whoever is faithful in little things is faithful also in bigger ones
Christ wants me to be a faithful steward. I can use the gifts God has given me in two different ways: to further my own interests or to further his. There is nothing that I possess that I have not received. Christ has given me my life and talents, all that I possess for one purpose alone: I was made to know, love and serve God in this life and thereby be happy with him forever in the next. In Baptism I was made into a child of God, and called to be his presence and his messenger in the world. St. Augustine would pray, You have made me for you, O Lord, and my heart is restless until it rests in you. The unfaithful steward lives for himself; the faithful, for God. The unfaithful steward mismanages his life and his talents spending them upon himself; he is the center of his attention. He lives his Baptism as if he were the only person in the world, as if there were no others to which he had to bring the message of Christ. He makes all his plans and all his projets taking into account only his own needs and desires, even spiritually.

Lord, I want to be a faithful steward. I want to employ my life, every moment of it and all of the possessions you have entrusted me to further your Kingdom in this world so that many, many souls may come to know you, love you and serve you.

3. No slave can serve two masters.
Christs message is clear. Today Christ lays before me an option, You can serve me or you can serve yourself or someone else. He does not offer the mediocre fifty-fifty compromise. I cannot be a part-time servant of Christ and a part-time servant of myself. What will happen if I choose to serve myself? I may grow rich, have a great car and pile up many goods. I will make sure that I have all of the pleasures that I can and avoid everything that irritates me. And then what? What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?
On the other hand, what will happen if I choose to serve Christ? I may never have those piles of riches and pleasures or that great car. But he will be honored and loved, not only by me, but by so many others, perhaps hundreds or maybe even thousands whose lives I will touch. And then what? I will hear the voice of my beloved say to me, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in the little things, now I will place you in charge of greater things. Come share your masters joy!

Conversation: Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit you teach us to be one with you. Help me to give all my heart, mind, soul, and body in a generous effort to collaborate with you. Grant that all men be given this gift, so that they may be happy in their self-donation. Help us to separate ourselves from any other desire, any other plan over our life but yours.

Questionnaire:
1. How have I been managing and using everything that I have received, everything that God has entrusted to me?
2. What do I need to do in order to become a faithful steward in the management of my life and talents? the talent of my time? the talent of my Catholic Faith?
3. Are my plans for the future totally centered on myself and my likes?
4. What am I doing, at this moment in my life, that Christ can call me his good and faithful steward? If Christ were to call me to give an account of my management today, what would I prefer to have managed differently? How will I manage it from now on?