September 29, 2013 –– Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Am 6: 1A, 4-7; Ps 146: 7-10; 1 Tm 6: 11-16; Lk 16:19-31
St. Paul captures some important aspects of stewardship in the second reading today, as he tells Timothy to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” That formula would seem to apply to being a good spouse, a good parent, a good sibling, a good neighbor, a good employee, a good boss, a good friend. Or, in other words be a good steward.
Stewardship, of course, recognizes how important our relationship to God is, as well as how we live out God’s love by loving others. If we practice stewardship correctly, it is always on the edge of our consciousness, an important part of our decision-making, and an intricate part of how we live our lives every day, every minute, every place.
The Gospel from Luke may seem a bit heavy in the way it handles the rich man’s treatment of Lazarus. However, Jesus tells us over and over that we must be conscious of those around us; that we need to be aware of how we are blessed in relation to others; and we must appreciate that what we do is in preparation for the next life. Those who live lives of stewardship, who truly love their neighbor, realize what is truly important in life.
