25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); September  21, 2025

Am 8:4-7.  Ps 113.  1 Tm 2:1-8.  Lk 16:1-13

Deacon Jim McFadden

            The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel is about a shrewd, dishonest steward, who was charged to watch after his master’s goods, but instead ripped him off by squandering his property.  He is about to be fired and to his credit he doesn’t complain about his master’s decision nor does he try to rationalize his bad behavior.  Moreover, he doesn’t get discouraged, though he does go into panic mode because of his inability to do manual labor and his unwillingness to beg.  So, he comes up with a plan.  It reminds me of a New Yorker cartoon which showed two men in a dungeon without windows or doors.  They are manacled to the wall by their wrists, ankles, and neck.  Both have long beards; they have obviously been there awhile.  The one who is leaning over the other, whispers, “Now here’s my plan.” 

         Well, the sly steward in today’s Gospel passage has a plan, which amounts to ripping off his master a second time by calling his master’s debtors and substantially reduces what is owed  in order to make friends through corruption in order to obtain a safe future.

         Now Jesus presents this example certainly not to encourage dishonesty, but rather prudence.  We hear: “The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence” (Lk 16:8).  That is, the steward used his intelligence and cunning, to devise a plan which enabled  him to overcome a very tenuous situation.  The key to understanding this parable lies at the end where Jesus invites us to “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (or dishonest wealth) (v. 9). 

         Okay, but what is ‘unrighteous mammon’?  Mammon is usually associated with money, which medieval spiritual writers called the “devil’s dung” and in general, the goods of the world.  We live in a culture that constantly bombards us with a message that says that we can make ourselves happy by acquiring the goods of the world whether it be wealth, prestige, power, and pleasure.  There’s a bumper sticker that nails this obsession: He who dies with the most toys wins. 

         The pursuit of mammon propels people to build walls, to protect what I have acquired from others, which, in turn creates division between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’  Jesus, on the other hand, encourages his disciples to “Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails , you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (v.9). 

         Keep in mind that are at our very core are relational beings because we are made in the image of God who is a loving community of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So, Jesus is inviting us to know how to integrate  the goods of the world into our relationship with God and our neighbor.  You see, being God’s beloved children, we are worth so much more than what we have.  Indeed, those who are happy and blessed use the goods of the world the way that God intended; that is, for God’s purposes and the good of others.  If we are able to transform our mammon, our wealth, into tools for building a just community and solidarity, not only will we be welcomed into heaven by God  but  also those whom we have shared our time, talent, and treasure will be there to greet us.  In short, we have properly stewarded what the Lord has placed in our hands.

         Brothers and sisters, this Gospel makes the question of the dishonest steward, resonate with us: “What shall I do now?  What is my plan?”  We have a choice to make: “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 God and mammon” (v. 13).

         If we give our whole heart and soul to God, if we serve God alone that means we put riches—or the goods of the world—in that service.  If we learn how to do that—to share ourselves and our resources with others for God’s praise and glory—then mammon is freed as a surrogate god and becomes just wealth, one of the many things that can promote the Father’s will.  The choice is straightforward.  We need to ask ourselves: What is our plan?

         Oh, by the way, here is the second part of that bumper sticker: He who dies with the most toys, dies anyway.

         May the Blessed Virgin help us to be prudent by assuring ourselves not of worldly success, but at the moment of our judgment, the needy people  whom we have helped can testify on our behalf that we were good stewards.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is your relationship to the goods of the world, especially wealth?
2. Are you making friends of unrighteous mammon”? How so?
3. What is your plan?