The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
“He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.”
Luke 16:10
This tiny portion from the Gospel of Luke is on repeat in my head almost daily. I’ve had it memorized since childhood, but in more recent years it has taken on a whole new meaning as I grow in my vocation as a wife and mother. I want so badly to serve Our Lord well in this vocation, to be truly devoted to one master and not divided in my heart as we read at the end of today’s gospel. I have found this one verse to be packed full of accountability and it helps hold my feet to the fire often when I feel weak. I am His steward here on earth and I so desperately want to be found faithful, but the waves of life come crashing down all too often and I falter. The dishes need washing for the third time today- I falter. The baby needs to be changed, fed, and rocked- I falter. The oldest needs help with homework- I falter, but recalling this little verse is often how I regain momentum. How can I be entrusted with helping these souls get to heaven and pursue their paths of holiness if I can’t even stay strong in the small daily tasks like dishes and diapers? I remember this verse and I set my feet firmly again and try to work heartily for the Lord because he needs good faithful stewards.
As children of God and disciples of Christ we are all called to be good stewards for the kingdom. Collectively we have been entrusted with so many things big and small alike; money, property, spouses, children, parents, neighbors, friends, co-workers, the list goes on and on. Whatever our current state in life may be we all have important work to do for Our Lord. I know all too well how difficult it can be to stay faithful to the mission He has laid before us, so I encourage all of us to write scriptures like Luke 16:10 on our hearts and recall them frequently when we are feeling weak. We need reminders like the parable of the dishonest steward to stay focused and committed to serving the one True Master well, whole-heartedly, without wavering or fumbling. Fortunately, at least for me, we serve a very loving and merciful Master who does not require perfection from us, He truly lavishes His grace on us, so may we lean fully into that grace and be found faithful stewards in the end.
Saint Mark and Saint Luke, pray for us.
Meredith is a wife and a mother to four soon to be five little ones. She spends most of her time caring for her family and home, but in her spare time (when she’s not drinking coffee and chatting with friends) she strives to spread the message and devotion to Divine Mercy on Instagram.