Spiritual Corner - Be a Genuinely Shrewd Person

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the Gospel of St. Luke 16: 1-8, Jesus told us the parable of a shrewd steward. This steward, after knowing that he would lose his stewardship, deliberately made shrewd arrangements for his future. Even Jesus praised him for his shrewdness. At the same time, Jesus also stated that the people of this world were more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than were the
people of light. What Jesus pinpointed was that people tried their utmost in handling worldly matters, but did not make equal effort in dealing with eternal life, heavenly matters, and in serving God.

We are often willing to make sacrifices for secular matters but not willing to make the same sacrifices for God. People will attend the 18-month RCIA course (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) so that their children will be admitted to Catholic schools, but are not willing to attend Sunday Mass for the salvation of their souls. We can spend one hour each day to do exercises for health, but are unwilling
to spend half an hour to participate in mass. We can drive 30 minutes for a meal, but are not willing to drive 20 minutes to church for liturgies. We can allow our children to miss attending mass but not for them to skip tutorial class. We are willing to take a two-week tour each year but not to join the parish one-day retreat. We are willing to spend two hours on our cellphone or video games, but not
to spend 20 minutes on reciting the Rosary or reading the Bible.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t we owe God too much? One day, all of us will have to stand before God, and by then, we may not be able to utter even a single word. Let us then reschedule our life, spare more time for God, less time on secular matters, and become genuinely shrewd people.

Yours, 
Fr. John Wang