A Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13
Audio Recording
Have you ever lost a job unexpectedly? For the steward in today’s gospel parable, losing his job was an even a more dire situation than losing a job is for us today. In Jesus’ time there were no unemployment benefits or Cobra plans to provide a way to keep your health insurance. No, the only options for this man seemed to be hard physical labor or begging. The gospel tells us that he was not strong enough for a job of digging and that he was too ashamed to become a beggar.
So, he came up with a plan. It was a dishonest plan that apparently cheated his boss out of money in order to help himself. We’re told that he went to all those who owed the rich man money and he reduced the amount they owed. He did this so these people would be indebted to him and would likely help him when he soon found himself out of work.
No, he wasn’t honest, but he was CLEVER and RESOURCEFUL. The rich man soon learned about this plan and what did he do? Did he throw him into prison for this dishonest handling of his debts? No, surprisingly he PRAISED him for his sense of urgency and cleverness.
The parable Jesus tells us today is like all of his parables in the sense that he used everyday experiences to communicate a spiritual truth. Today’s lesson is not about the questionable methods of the dishonest steward. No, it’s about recognizing that which is extremely urgent and taking immediate action to correct it. It’s about waking up from our spiritual slumber and coming to spiritual attention.
Let me ask you a couple of simple questions to see what sort of importance you place on getting your spiritual life in order. OK, here’s the first question. Who’s more important in your life? Your doctor, who takes care of your physical body or your priest who cares for your soul?
We will all certainly go see our doctor as soon as something serious comes about in regards to our physical health. But, do we immediately go to confession when we commit a serious sin?
Second question. Is it possible you might be called to meet Jesus in the coming week? Yet, how many of us think about our death? Do we have a sense of urgency to prepare for this meeting? If we truly believe what we profess to believe, we know that we are going to spend all of ETERNITY in one of two places, either in Heaven or in Hell. Don’t you think it might be a good idea to have a sense of urgency about preparing yourself for eternal life when you could be called to it at any time?
So many of us think our spiritual lives will pretty much take care of themselves. We might think “God is love, all is going fairly well.” We may say to ourselves “I go to Mass on Sundays, put a some money in the basket, and I even say my prayers every night. I’m good, right?”
Are you sure you that’s enough? Are you sure that’s all God is asking of you?
Think of it this way. What if you told your boss that you were only going to come to work 1 hour a week and maybe do a little something for him from time to time. Maybe you’d also remember him just before going to sleep at night. How long do you think you’d keep your job if this was your attitude?
So, just how should we think about spiritual matters? What do we really believe about the state of our souls? Do you really believe that spiritual matters are more important than material matters? Are we convinced that a threat to our spiritual welfare – the chance that we could LOSE our souls – can be even more grave than threats to our finances or our health? And, are we willing to ACT on this threat? THIS is the question at the heart of today’s gospel.
What is the spiritual life all about? It’s about our RELATIONSHIP to God, to Jesus the Son, who Paul tells us in today’s second reading is the one mediator between God and man. Jesus Christ is our ONLY link to eternal life. If we truly believe what we profess to believe, we must nurture our relationship with him. THIS is truly THE MOST IMPORTANT thing in our lives.
The Gospels tell us this over and over again. Our relationship with God is more important than our family, our riches, our very lives. Jesus tells us that it profits the soul NOTHING to gain the whole world and lose your soul. If you lose your link to God by not developing a true friendship with Jesus, you can have it all and yet have nothing. Friends talk to each other and they do things for each other. Are we spending time with Jesus, our most important friend?
Like the steward in today’s gospel, we must all take immediate action and be resourceful in how we provide for the most important needs of our lives. We must spend time attending to the needs of our eternal soul.
Let us ask the Lord as we approach and receive him during Holy Communion today that he will help us to take seriously what our faith teaches us about our eternal salvation and then spring into action to make the changes we need to make for the health of our spiritual lives.
By making these changes, when the time comes for us to meet Jesus, perhaps much sooner than we may think, we’ll be able to meet him with a clear conscience and in a state of grace. Remember, the only thing you take with you to that encounter at the moment of your death is the love you have shown him by way of how you have treated others.
So, are YOU willing to invest the time necessary each day to properly care for your soul? Are you ready to meet Jesus if he comes for you today?