Gospel 2. October 2022 Lk 17, 5-10 The faithful servants
In many of Jesus’ parables, a wealthy owner hands over the management of his household, vineyard or estate to his servants. The owner’s expectation is that they will treat his property responsibly and return it to him in good condition when he returns. This is not a special merit. It is simply their duty. We have been entrusted to take care of God’s creation. And one day God will hold us accountable for our stewardship. What will we answer?
Reflections:
There would be enough for all
We are not owners of creation. We are only stewards of the infinite wealth in God’s household. God has provided abundant supplies so that all the inhabitants of the house could live well. But a small clique of stewards has succeeded in usurping the keys to the storess. They live in great luxury and only give hunger portions to the others servants. Whoever protests against the unfair distribution is beaten up. (cf. Lk 12:42-48)
The inequality between the richest and the poorest in the world today is scandalous and it is increasing.
We disfigure our common home
If you rent out your apartment, you would be shocked to find on a visit rotting garbage everywhere, walls covered with mildew, torn wallpaper and the garden full of weeds. But this is how we treat the common home that the Creator has entrusted to us. We fill the world with mountains of garbage, pollute the oceans with plastic waste, and export our toxic waste to other countries. What can we do
so that the world around us reflects the original beauty of creation?
Not a hobby, but a holy duty
For decades, people who campaigned for an intact environment were ridiculed and mocked as unrealistic eco-freaks. Yet, the preservation of creation is not a hobby for idealists. It is a duty for every inhabitant of our common home. We will all be called to account one day whether we have done our part to preserve and restore the beauty and diversity of creation. Perhaps the judgment has already begun.
Prayer
Let us pray for one another, so that we may live out the vision and values of Pope Francis’ encyclical ‚On Care for Our Common Home’. In particular, we pray for greater attention to social justice, climate justice and intergenerational justice.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, we pray that we may better appreciate the beauty and diversity of all that you have created. As we journey through the synod process, help us to listen to the voice of creation and to recognize how deeply we are connected to each other and to the natural world around us.
Lord, hear us.
