The theme that jumped out at me after completing the readings was about dealing with how we conduct ourselves as if Earth is our final destination, versus how we conduct ourselves if Heaven is an option after death. Most of us will strive to reach Heaven, which is what we were built for. However, not everyone is walking towards that heavenly goal. As a GVM writer once told us, strong fish swim upstream against the tide of earthly callings, while dead fish go with the flow.
The first reading reminds us that back at the time of Biblical writing, many people conducted themselves as enemies to Christ, and were opposed to what He did for us. We do the same thing today. The end for those ignoring the possibility of Heaven will be to meet “eternal destruction,” as the Bible says. Remember, “eternal” is an awfully long time! Our personal conduct matters, and we have readily available guidelines about how we should behave as we strive for Heaven. The Ten Commandments are a good place to start. Three commandments about loving God, and seven about loving others and ourselves. Claiming ignorance about these rules is not legitimate in most parts of the world.
The Dishonest Steward
The Gospel speaks of the Dishonest Steward. He has squandered the gifts entrusted to him by the Master, and the Master wants a reckoning to make things right again. The end seems dire for the Dishonest Steward, so he needs to act fast. He quickly works out deals with the master’s debtors, to ease the payback terms, and gain favor with the debtors. The Master is impressed by the craftiness of the Dishonest Steward, who is incredibly good with earthly things, but fell flat when dealing with Heavenly gifts. The Dishonest Steward is a citizen of the Earth, but not a citizen or future citizen of Heaven.
Our manners, how we act in public, how we act when we think nobody is watching, and how we interact with others speak volumes of which path we are on – to an Earthly finish, or a Heavenly finish. It is more than just being nice, however, because atheists can be nice. Our conduct should reflect our love for God and doing things to please Him because we love Him.
St. Francis, one of my favorite Saints, had a saying that goes something like “preach often and sometimes use words.” This is not an excuse to not talk to people. Rather, it is a call to action to show God’s love, grace, humility, and strength every day. Think about this call to action the next time you are caught in traffic, behind someone slow in the grocery line, someone takes “your” parking space, or you watch someone struggle in life. There are rooms, and parking places, for all of us in Heaven.
Smart analogy, swimming upstream verus going with the flow. I especially enjoyed the saying, there are rooms and parking spaces for everyone. It sure makes you think, what is my response to unpleasant situations. God is watching and He certainly cares.