This Sunday, September 21, is the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week’s readings focus on trust and accountability in small and large matters. Let’s look at them.
Gospel Text – Luke 16:10-13
“Jesus said to his disciples: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
1st Reading Amos 8:4-7
The first reading from the Book of Amos indicts economic injustice and spiritual hypocrisy. The prophet Amos, speaking on behalf of God, confronts a society that has grown prosperous but corrupt, where the powerful exploit the poor and religious observance is hollowed out by greed. The sentence “you who trample upon the needy” refers to those who systemically oppress the poor. The merchants’ hearts are set on profits and will deliberately cheat to increase those profits.
2nd Reading 1 Timothy 2:1-8
The reading starts with Paul calling for supplications (requests), prayers (general communion), intercessions (pleading on behalf of others), and thanksgivings. This call is for all people, even the corrupt rulers of the time. God’s heart is inclusive of all, and our prayers should reflect His unending mercy. Paul affirms Jesus as the bridge between humanity and God, and His sacrifice is sufficient and available to all. Paul’s mission to the Gentiles highlights the scope of God’s salvation.
Gospel Reading Luke 16:10-13
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about faithfulness, stewardship, and spiritual allegiance. It follows the parable of the shrewd manager and directly challenges how we handle worldly resources and where our true loyalty lies. Our society preaches that more is better: more money, success, and physical possessions. Jesus teaches us how powerful small, consistent acts of love, honesty, and justice can be. In the smaller things in life, how we use our words and treat each other, reveal our character. U.S. Catholic describes it this way:
“It is grace, justice, compassion, generosity, and peace, which are the gifts of the Spirit. We cannot pursue those things while worshiping wealth, as we need to see care of our neighbors, the environment, and the vulnerable as a holy responsibility.”
God sees and will judge the misuse of power and resources given to us. It does not matter if it is systemic injustice or personal dishonesty – we will all be held accountable. Please share your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.
Peace
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