Entrusted with the Mystery: The Steward Who Must Give an Account

Eph 3:2-12, Psalm: Is 12, Lk 12:39-48

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

What have you been entrusted with? What has God placed in your hands that He will one day ask you to give back with increase? Today, Saint Paul and Jesus both speak of stewardship—the sacred responsibility of those who have received the mysteries of God. We are not owners; we are stewards. We are not masters; we are servants. And one day, the Master will return and ask us to give an account.

In his Letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul describes his ministry as a stewardship of God’s grace. “You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit.” Paul did not choose his mission; it was given to him. He did not earn his apostleship; it was a gift. And what is the mystery entrusted to him? That the Gentiles are “coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” This was a revolutionary truth—that God’s salvation is for all people, not just Israel. Paul was entrusted with this mystery, and he saw his life as a sacred responsibility to proclaim it.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a parable about a faithful steward. “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?” The faithful steward is the one who is found doing the master’s will when the master returns. The unfaithful steward is the one who says, “My master is delayed in coming,” and begins to abuse the servants and to eat and drink and get drunk. Jesus concludes, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

The connection between the readings is the call to faithful stewardship. Paul was entrusted with the mystery of the Gospel, and he gave his life to proclaim it. Jesus warns that we will be held accountable for what we have been given. We have been entrusted with the mysteries of God—the Gospel, the sacraments, the truth of our faith. We have been given gifts of time, talent, and treasure. The question is not whether we have been given much; the question is whether we are using what we have been given for the glory of God and the good of others.

Pope Francis has said, “We are stewards, not owners, of the gifts we have received from God. Our task is to make them fruitful, not to bury them.” Saint John Paul II, in his encyclical Christifideles Laici, wrote, “The lay faithful are called to be stewards of the Gospel, bringing its light to every corner of society.” And Saint Augustine, reflecting on the parable of the faithful steward, said, “The Lord has entrusted us with His gifts. Let us not be found sleeping when He returns.”

What does this mean for us? We have been entrusted with the most precious gift of all: the knowledge of Jesus Christ. We have been given the sacraments, the Scriptures, and the community of the Church. We have been given time, talent, and treasure. We have been given people to love—family, friends, neighbors, strangers. And one day, we will give an account.

Today, let us examine our hearts. Are we faithful stewards of what God has given us? Are we using our gifts for His glory, or are we burying them? Are we ready for the Master’s return? Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to be found faithful, doing His will, when He comes again.

For much has been given to us. And much will be required. Amen.

May God bless you all!