A Penitent Blogger
Prudence
As believers, we recognize the absolute necessity of God's grace.
We also recognize the critical role of God's providence.
What we sometimes fail to recognize is the vital importance of prudence.
That is the moral of the strange parable our Lord gives us in today's Gospel (Luke 16:1-8): a parable that almost seems to endorse unethical behavior.
And the master commended that dishonest steward
for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.
Our Lord here is not endorsing dishonesty, skimming, kickbacks, or crooked accounting.
Our ways are not to be the ways of this world, as St. Paul reminds us in today's first reading (Philippians 3:17-4:1):
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their shame.
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for,
my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord,
beloved.
The point of our Lord's parable is that whereas the children of this world are prudent and proactive with the things of this world, we as children of the light need to be prudent and proactive with the things of God.
We need to let the grace of God and his gift of faith be more fully manifested in our lives.
We rely on God's grace and providence, but we also need to pray continually for discernment and to use the intelligence we have received from God, so that God's grace and providence may find prudent and useful instruments in us.
We also recognize the critical role of God's providence.
What we sometimes fail to recognize is the vital importance of prudence.
That is the moral of the strange parable our Lord gives us in today's Gospel (Luke 16:1-8): a parable that almost seems to endorse unethical behavior.
And the master commended that dishonest steward
for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.
Our Lord here is not endorsing dishonesty, skimming, kickbacks, or crooked accounting.
Our ways are not to be the ways of this world, as St. Paul reminds us in today's first reading (Philippians 3:17-4:1):
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their shame.
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for,
my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord,
beloved.
The point of our Lord's parable is that whereas the children of this world are prudent and proactive with the things of this world, we as children of the light need to be prudent and proactive with the things of God.
We need to let the grace of God and his gift of faith be more fully manifested in our lives.
We rely on God's grace and providence, but we also need to pray continually for discernment and to use the intelligence we have received from God, so that God's grace and providence may find prudent and useful instruments in us.
posted by Penitens | 11:00 AM
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