25th Sunday in Ordinary Time || 9-21-25

 Brothers and sisters, 

    Today’s Gospel gives us one of those parables that makes us scratch our heads. A steward is caught squandering his master’s property. Knowing he’s about to be fired, he calls in the debtors and quickly cuts their bills so that they’ll welcome him later. And then—surprise!—the master praises him for being clever. You can almost imagine the disciples looking at Jesus and whispering, “Wait…what? Are we supposed to cheat our bosses now?” Of course not. Jesus isn’t telling us to be dishonest; He’s showing us the steward’s urgency and creativity. When his world started collapsing, he acted decisively. If someone can be that resourceful for something as temporary as money, how much more should we be clever and bold in seeking the things of God that last forever?

    The truth is, everything we have—our money, our time, our talents, even the very breath in our lungs—belongs to God. We are stewards, not owners. One day, the Master will call us to account. The question won’t be, “How big was your paycheck?” or “How many likes did you get on Instagram?” but rather, “How did you use what I gave you to love Me and to care for others?” Jesus calls money “unrighteous mammon,” not because it’s evil in itself, but because it’s temporary and can so easily become a trap. He tells us to use it to “make friends,” meaning to serve the poor, support the Church, and build relationships of mercy and love—so that when money fails (and it always does), we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. In other words, turn your wallet into a ticket to heaven. And remember, no one has ever seen a U-Haul following a hearse. You can’t take it with you—but you can send it ahead by giving it away.

Finally, Jesus brings it home with a line that cuts to the heart: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” Money is a wonderful servant but a cruel master. It promises freedom, but if we’re not careful, it ends up owning us. That doesn’t mean we all have to sell everything and live in a cave. It means that God must come first. Our possessions, careers, and plans all find their place when He is Lord. So, let’s ask ourselves today: who’s really in charge—God or the stuff? May we have the wisdom to be faithful stewards, the courage to act with urgency, and yes, even the holy cleverness to use this passing world for eternal gain. If the children of this world can hustle for things that don’t last, let’s out-hustle them in love, mercy, and generosity—so that when the Master calls us home, He’ll say with a smile, “Well done, good and faithful servant…come, share My joy.”