“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous
mammon, that when you fail, they may receive into an everlasting life home.”
(Luke 16:9)
Money can be both a blessing and a curse for us
depending on how we manage and use it. Money is an important thing but not the
most important thing in our life. Money is one of the means to achieve
happiness but not an end of happiness itself. Everyone needs money, so it is
not wrong if we work to earn money. Getting rich is also not a problem, but
don’t make money for everything so that we oppress others, cheat and enrich
ourselves. Let’s make money as a blessing from God and a tool to help others who
are in need. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His reaches in
glory by Jesus Christ” (Phil. 4:19.)
We need money to buy something to eat and drink, treat
sickness, and to live our religious life. Nevertheless, it is wrong if money is
no longer used as a means of life but as an end in life. By making money as a
goal of life, we become slaves of money. Being slaves to money makes us afraid
of death and doesn’t want to leave all our wealth. We start thinking of
corruption, living extravagantly, and we don’t know how to manage money
properly. Many people think that the benchmark of success is seen from abundant
wealth. It’s not that! Success is seen from how many people love us! Paul
said “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned it in whatever
state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. (Phil. 4:11-12).
“No servant can
serve two masters; either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he
will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon” (Lk. 16:13)
We ourselves must be admitted that being a good person is easy, but it is rather difficult to be a loyal person. In our life, sometimes people can fail to maintain loyalty. We may not be faithful to what has been promised. People always change over time and loyalty can easily change too. It could be easy to say “YES”, but then it could be “NO” in our deed and mind. Nowadays, loyalty is hard to come by. The world offers so many things that we can become unfaithful in life. In terms of faith, we can also become unfaithful with our life choice, so easily become lovers of money instead. Jesus reminds us to be faithful people in any way, be a person who is loyal to our duties and jobs, a person who is faithful to the calling of life, a person who is faithful in service. In full fidelity to our life and calling, we have to demonstrate the quality of our lives as a disciple of Christ today.
By Frt. Sandre Loreng, SVD.
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