Reflection for November 7 Saturday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 16:9-15

Gospel: Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “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 God and mammon.”  

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”

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Reflection:

Do we allow ourselves to be influenced by the love of material things?

Advertisers continuously bombard us with advertisements that entice us to develop a love for material things, such as smartphones. Manufacturers continually introduce new models to increase their sales and profits. And what do we often do? We buy these products simply because we allow ourselves to be captivated by persuasive advertisements, even when there is actually no need for us to purchase them yet.

This is something we must seriously watch out for. If we are not careful, we may eventually find ourselves serving the god of this world, which is Mammon, or money. Think about it: Who is behind these advertisements that entice us to spend mindlessly, keeping us constantly busy earning more money until we eventually push God aside in our lives?

The one behind this deception is the Devil, who deludes us into believing that Mammon, or materialism, is the be-all and end-all of life. If we are not careful, we may fall into this deception and begin to favor Mammon over God. But we must remember that Mammon can become an instrument of the Devil, leading us away from God. It is dangerous when we allow our desire for material possessions to become stronger than our desire to love and serve God.

Let us therefore be discerning about the things we desire and the things we spend our money on. There is nothing inherently wrong with having money or acquiring material possessions. The danger begins when these things take control of our lives, dictate our priorities, and gradually take the place that rightfully belongs to God. We must never allow the things that we own to eventually own us.

We must therefore choose God over the god of this world, which is Mammon or materialism. If we choose God, we will experience peace in our lives. This does not mean that we will be spared from every problem that may come our way. Rather, it means that we will have the strength and grace to face our difficulties, no matter how challenging they may be. Why? Because we have chosen to remain with God instead of allowing ourselves to be captivated by this materialism-driven world.

Let us remember that material possessions are temporary, but our relationship with God has eternal value. We may acquire the latest gadgets, the finest things, and all the comforts this world can offer, but none of these can replace the peace, joy, and fulfillment that come from having God in our lives.

As we go through life, let us ask ourselves: Are we using the blessings and material possessions God has given us to serve Him and others, or have we allowed these things to become our masters? When our earthly possessions eventually fade away, will our hearts still be firmly anchored in God?— Marino J. Dasmarinas