David Sanchez, LC
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ, our King.
Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
O Jesus, friend of the soul, nourish with your word your child who is so much in need of you. May the Gospel become a source of inspiration for my life and the rule that orders my actions and feelings.
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 16:1-8
At that time Jesus said to his disciples, “Once upon a time there was a rich man who had a steward, who was accused before him of having wasted his goods. He called him and said to him, ‘Is it true what I have been told about you? Give me an account of your work, for henceforth you will no longer be a steward.’ Then the steward began to think, ‘What am I to do now that my work is taken away from me? I don't have the strength to work the land and I am ashamed to beg for alms. I know what I am going to do, so that I can have someone to receive me in his house when I am fired’. Then he called out one by one to his master's debtors. To the first he asked, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The man replied, ‘A hundred barrels of oil.’ The steward said to him, ‘Take your receipt, make haste and make another for fifty’. Then he asked the next man, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The man said, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat. The steward said to him: ’Take your receipt and make another for eighty‘. The master had to acknowledge that his bad steward had proceeded with skill. For those who belong to this world are more skillful in their dealings than those who belong to the light.’.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
«The master congratulated the unjust steward, for the shrewdness with which he had proceeded.» Certainly, Jesus, you are not praising a dishonest act of the steward, what you admire in him is his way of getting «friends». The steward was entitled to part of the proceeds and he decides to invest them in those who can help him secure a «future». He is smart, he is shrewd.
To me, Lord, you have entrusted the administration of many things: my family, my friends, my talents... however, I do not always treat them well nor do I take advantage of all that you have given me; I squander your gifts. Sometimes, I don't even realize they are there, I become blind, and I worry only about enjoying my life. I am not astute enough to secure the future that really matters: ETERNITY.
Everything you give me must help me to come to you. Teach me, Jesus, to use your gifts well.
«There is, however, a Christian cunning to do things roguishly, but not in the spirit of the world: to do things honestly. And this is good. This is what Jesus says when he invites us to be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves: to put these two dimensions together is a grace of the Holy Spirit, a grace that we must ask for. Even today there are many of these swindlers, corrupt people... I am impressed to see how corruption is spread everywhere».
(Homily of H.H. Francis, September 18, 2016).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
Today, I will thank the Lord for my family, my friends, my talents.
Farewell
We thank you, Lord, for all your benefits, you who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
