SUNDAY REFLECTIONS | 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Social Communications Ministry
Published on September 21, 2025
Jesus said to His disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus shares a parable that at first seems confusing: a dishonest steward who manipulates debts is praised for his cleverness. But Jesus is not praising dishonesty—He is highlighting prudence, resourcefulness, and foresight. The steward knew how to use what little time and opportunity he had left to secure his future. And Jesus uses this image to challenge us: if the “children of this world” are so clever in worldly matters, shouldn’t the “children of light” be just as wise in spiritual ones?
The message is clear: God calls us to be spiritually intelligent—to use our time, talents, and resources for eternal purposes, not just earthly gain. Everything we have is a gift entrusted to our care. One day, like the steward, we will give an account of how we used what was given to us. Have we been good stewards of God’s blessings—our relationships, our work, our possessions, and our faith?
Jesus reminds us that faithfulness begins in the small things. “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones.” It’s not the size of our responsibility that defines us, but the integrity with which we handle it. Every little act of honesty, kindness, or generosity builds the foundation of a faithful heart.
At the same time, Jesus warns that we cannot serve two masters. Sooner or later, we must choose between God and mammon—between a life centered on love and one centered on possessions. Wealth itself is not evil, but when it becomes our master, it blinds us to what truly matters. The more we cling to things, the less room we have for God.
This parable asks us to examine our priorities. Do we use our resources for self-comfort or for service? Are we wise in managing our time and possessions for God’s Kingdom, or have we grown careless with what He has entrusted to us? True stewardship means seeing every blessing as a chance to love, to give, and to build what lasts beyond this world.
Let us ask ourselves: Am I a faithful steward of the gifts God has given me? Do I use my resources with purpose and integrity? Do I allow wealth or comfort to rule my choices, or is God truly my Master?
