Twenty-Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time, C- Pink Slip; You're Fired!

Pink slip in hand, which is a notice of dismissal, given to this employee, who was a top manager; now this manager has to figure out fast how to get significant benefits from the soon-to-be former clients before he or she is terminated.

The words “You’re fired” packs more of a punch than “You cannot serve both God and mammon."

(idea for the above: From “Shrewd Investment” by Jennifer E. Copeland).

"Mammon" as a pejorative term for money, wealth, excessive materialism, greed, and unjust worldly gain.

For example, there was a situation where a wife complained to her husband. She said, “I’m ashamed of the way we live. My mother pays our rent; my aunt buys our groceries; my sister pays our utilities. I’m ashamed we can’t do better than that.” And the husband said, “Well, you ought to be. You have two uncles that don’t send us a dime.”

The boss in the parable called for an immediate financial audit and fired the business manager.

We are all dishonest business managers when we sin. But there is Good News! Imagine the judgement: The books were opened up and verdict was clear—guilty! Then Jesus comes along and is willing to forgive, and we accept the offer. Jesus on the Cross says to us, “How much do you owe God? Sit down and write, None!”

We are in a period of grace, but some are not going to Mass, squandering this opportunity to get saved, love God and serve others.

When we die, the owner’s words are to us too, “Prepare a full account of your stewardship”

What are we going to say if we spent nearly our whole life just trying to earn money without getting involved in any parish group or volunteering or serving others for free, only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls?

Wordily people will strategize to increase their profits and devise creative plans, while Christians are slower to use their gifts and thereby gain that spiritual currency which is of a much higher value than money because what we do for God and not for personal gain, will assure us of welcomed into eternal dwellings.

In Luke 16:8, the dishonest manger is called “Commended”, “Prudent,” which is to be “Clever,” “Resourceful.”

E.g. A consultant was once hired by the Ford Motor Company. This consultant was an efficiency expert, who was then making the final report to Henry Ford.

“As you will see, Sir, the report is highly favorable,” the consultant said, “except for that man down the hall. Every time I pass by he’s sitting with his feet on his desk. He’s wasting your money.”

Henry Ford replied, “That man once had an idea that earned us a fortune. At the time I believe his feet were exactly where they are now.”

Notice that the dishonest manager called in his boss’s clients who had debts one by one so he could give them each the personal touch and reduce their debts. God deals with us too in this way. He says to us, one-to-one, “Do some good, even if it means you have to take a loss to finally get on the right track.”

Amen.