Lord, this Gospel is difficult to understand. How can we praise someone who is doing wrong? But You are not praising the dishonest steward; rather, You present him to us as an example of howhe uses his gifts for his own benefit.

And You are giving us an important lesson about how we must put all our gifts at Your service, using them wisely and resourcefully. In this way, we can show the greatness of our Sacrament, starting with our own spouse.

As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. That is why we are going to set ourselves the task of discerning which gifts You have given us and putting them to use to lead souls to Heaven.

Applied to Married Life

Clare: Andy, how are things going between your colleague Joseph and his wife? Her name was Anna, wasn’t it?

Andy: Well, to be honest, things look very bad. I see a very bleak future for them. We should try to give them a helping hand.

Clare: What do you think we could do?

Andy: We could invite them over for dinner.

Clare: What if we organised a hiking trip? You both really enjoy it, and it would give me a chance to talk to her privately and hear her side of what’s been happening.

Andy: What a great idea! I’m sure Joseph would love it. I hope she will too. You certainly have a wonderful gift for organising these things.

Clare: And where could we go?

Andy: I love that little village in the mountains where we went last time. Do you remember? At the end of the route, there was a beautiful little chapel, and it just so happened that Mass was about to begin. I’ll look up the route and the Mass times to see if we can make it work.

Clare: That sounds wonderful! The place is beautiful, and finishing the day by celebrating the Eucharist together, all four of us, would be the best part. You’re putting your own gift at His service too. How wonderful!

Andy: I’m beginning to think that if everything goes well, we could all go on the Camino de Santiago together as two families this summer.

Clare: How lovely! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One step at a time. And let’s start by praying for them right now, trusting in the Lord, who makes all things new.

Mother,

Our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope, help us to follow Your Son with docility and obedience. Be our example and our guide.

Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus!