Homily on “Being Good Stewards of God’s Creation” based on the Gospel of
Mark 12:38-44
We were all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26) and so – the question is - Do our lives reflect God’s love, grace, mercy and generosity?
When people hear the word stewardship – the first thing that comes to mind is - Oh! the parish is asking again for donations particularly money. Stewardship does relate to money, of course… but Stewardship relates to everything. Stewardship is recognizing our responsibility to God for everything we have including our lives.
When God finished creating all things, God gave humanity - the responsibility for what God had created. God made humans in charge of all His creation… that is Stewardship… Stewardship is the proper use of all that God has given us…
Knowledge, for example. People know much more now than previous generations because of technology giving us information instantly but the question is: What have we done with the knowledge that we have?
To those of us, who by the grace of God were able to migrate here in America – land of great opportunities. The question is: What have we made of the opportunities we were given?
Stewardship also relates to talents, to emotional strengths, to spheres of influence, to everything…including spiritual gifts.
…Even our faith… is also a gift from God.
If we are doing well in life, in terms of wealth or health, knowledge, physical attributes, or even in terms of deeper spirituality – being more “religious” or faithful than others – Caution: before we look down on others – before we feel so proud of ourselves– compared to others - we have to keep in mind what Jesus said: “To whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48)… “Much more has been given to you, much more is expected of you…”
This is quite a challenging and maybe troubling news or challegne to many of us who have received so much more of almost everything… As a saying goes - trouble the comfortable… so that they comfort the troubled. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
God does not bless us with abundance so that we can grow still more prosperous, but God expects us to share the abundance we have received with those in need. Let us pray that we live in love and generosity – as God has been so generous to us.
We find the best in ourselves when we dare to give boldly and generously.
Yes – admittedly, basic inequalities exist among people: inequality in circumstances, inequality in opportunities, inequality in abilities. So – it is not fair to compare people including ourselves with other people.
Yes - Life is not fair at times but God is good all the time.
We might not find fairness and justice in this world during our life but have this as a basis for your hope: God has all eternity to make all things fair and just for everyone… so, do not lose hope… if you are struggling.
Again - All of us will be judged in terms of what we have done with what we have been given… It is a matter of what we do with what we have… be it much or be it little….
Yes – many of us live in difficult times of financial crises because of the pandemic, but our first reading serves as a great reminder for us. God sent the prophet Elijah to a widow living in the midst of a severe drought and so the widow had only a small amount of food left.
Yet, when Elijah asked for something to eat, she gave him what he asked for, believing that God will provide for her and her son. .. trusting in the providence and generosity of God…and so as we heard in the reading: “her jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry…”
Here’s a story as another way to understand or to look at stewardship – as an illustration:
There is this great mountain in an ancient kingdom. The king issued a challenge to all his subjects who lived on the sides of the mountain. On a certain day they are to climb the mountain to the top. There will be a reward for the winner.
Obviously - there is a basic inequity here. Some live very near the top of the mountain, while others live near the bottom. Those living near the bottom don’t have a chance of getting to the top before everyone else.
But you see - the king did not say that the reward was for the person who reached the top, or for the person who reached the top first.
At the end of the day of the climb, the king will give the reward to the person who climbed the farthest from wherever that climber started.
As we get closer to the end of the Liturgical Year – in two weeks – we will celebrate Christ the King – we will be reminded more and more about the end times…when we will have to give account of what we have done with our lives, with what we have been blessed with.
Our readings do not specifically talk about it but they are pointing to how we are going to be judged. "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets…(yet), they devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."
On the other hand - Jesus blessed the poor widow who gave only two copper coins because Jesus knew how much it actually was. It was all she had… compared to those who gave much more but they gave out of their surplus… it is just their extra.
The value of a gift is not necessarily based on its quantity. Those who give more does not mean that they are more generous or that they love God more… because it is a matter of the heart… which God looks at. There are people – with all due respect - who give generously but with selfish motives, with their own agenda or with strings attached.
When you show kindness and if you expect something in return, that is not kindness, that is business…
People see our actions. God sees our intentions.
At the heart of Jesus’ criticism of the scribes and Pharisees is their hypocrisy.
Here’s the message for us - We should be careful not to appear good only on the outside. What matters is what we really are… not about recognitions, not having places of honor… not about receiving honor.
It is a matter of what we are inside… God looks at the inner motives of the heart. God wants us to be as generous as He is – in the true sense of the word…. Not only in terms of time, talent and treasure but God wants us to be generous also in terms of patience with others, forgiveness, sympathy, mercy.
Remember: The happiest people are not those who have everything but those who give everything they have.
Fr. Jerry Orbos beautifully said: As we grow older, our main goal in life must not be happiness, but Godliness; not reputation, but character; not wealth, but virtue; not fame, but faith; not the approval of men, but the approval of God, the Creator, the Source of all that is good.
God knows exactly who and what we really are. As we continue with our Eucharistic celebration – let us ask for God’s grace to be good stewards, to help us live honestly before God, to live honestly and truthfully with ourselves and with other people.
God bless…
