(Audio)
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
We have no wealth of our own to pay off our debt to our master. And not only that, we squander many blessings of the stewardship entrusted to us. We should be embarrassed to offer a full account. Yet we can accumulate the lasting benefits of love by sharing the master's wealth with others who are in debt to him.
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
The LORD has plenty. His mercy is limitless and so there ought to be no limits on our sharing it. What we have and what we do of ourselves is not enough to make a difference. But when we let mercy flow through us we do find a way to ensure we are welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
- Closing prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
We must not mistake this lesson. The LORD isn't giving us permission to cheat or to lie. He demands that we be faithful in matters small and large. He wants to teach us how to use the wealth of mercy, given freely as a gift, so that he can entrust to us the true riches of eternal life in union with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can't be just like the dishonest steward. But because our master's wealth is limitless and because he desires all to share in it, we can imitate the way the steward puts his master's wealth to use.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
How do we share this wealth of mercy? We practice the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy. We tell people about Jesus. We pray.
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.
Even when the motive begins from a desire to ensure our own everlasting dwellings the LORD is willing to work with that as a starting point as long as it overflows into mercy. For when this happens it inevitably draws us out from ourselves and into love.
Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
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