Ordinary Time

Pause

Jesus once said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Take a deep breath and ask this question:

Where do I spend my life’s worth these days, and how can I redirect those energies to reflect what is truly important to me?

Listen

Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate. He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.’

“The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I’m not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg. I know what I’ll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses.”

Luke 16:1-4

Think

Jesus used a story about wealth and financial management to get a point across regarding forgiveness. Jesus got it: he knew that we humans often pay more attention to material matters than spiritual things. In fact, both are related.

We all make mistakes, but the way we respond to these mistakes is what truly shapes our lives. The crisis in this story provides an opportunity for the manager to rethink his relationship to his wealth and those around him. Sometimes what we consider to be a crisis is a door waiting to be opened that will give us a new chance on life.

Jon Brown

Pray

God, like the very imperfect manager in the story, help me to see that some problems in my life are actually opportunities to heal and correct my own imperfections.

Thank you for your grace.

Amen.

Go

There are two bodies of water in Israel, both are fed by the Jordan River.

One is the Sea of Galilee: full of life and surrounded by lush foliage. For every drop of water that enters the sea it passes it on at the other side back into the river. It gives, and it lives.

The other body of water is also fed by the same Jordan River, but nothing flows out of it. This Sea has no fish, no seaweed, no plant life. We call it the Dead Sea.

Open your heart to opportunities to bring life to others and yourself by means of the gifts God has given you.