In today’s
Gospel (Lk 16:1-13), Jesus tells the parable of a dishonest steward. The Master
got a tip that this servant was squandering his wealth. So he was summoned to
give an account.
Reading this
story, I am reminded of a mestiza-chinese woman who is at the center of news
these days. Obviously she is not Kim Chiu. Kim Chiu, though is much beautiful. She
became famous for her beauty and her mass appeal. But this woman has become
infamous because of her “enterprising ways” of squandering the tax payers’
money.
News has
it that she started very poor. Her father got bankrupt and left his family with
nothing. When she was a high school student, her mother had a sari-sari store
in front of her school where she also sold banana cue. The family was so poor
that at times they had no viand; she would ask neighbors for dried fish to have
“ulam” for rice. At that time, she could not even afford a decent dress to
wear.
But she
had the talent of being very enterprising. She seemed to have a “Midas touch”
and could practically make cash out of anything. She has this strong convincing
power; she can induce people to buy and she was very persistent. For instance,
she would bring a big bag full of candies and school supplies in school and
sell them to her classmates and teachers during recess. This was how she paid her
tuition, school expenses that made her way to graduate.
After high
school, her enterprising ways also leveled up. She claimed she became a
supplier of charcoal, chickens, spare parts of military tanks, aircraft and
communication equipments. She became so rich that other said she place her money
in their bath-tub of their home. She acquired properties, cars, houses here and
abroad.
But lately,
people discovered the true source of her income. She was using the
discretionary fund of the government channeling them by putting up “ghost
projects” though fake NGO’s and bogus private companies. Government officials
were helping her in this enterprise. Then they would split the gains 50-50;
giving “balato” to their employees and helpers.
Now, the
Lord makes this question: why are the people of darkness more “enterprising”
than the children of light? Why are those who build their “own kingdom” on
earth more hard-working than those who build God’s Kingdom?
The answer
is clear. It is more lucrative to build one’s own kingdom on earth. Its easy. The
results are instant. One lives in comfort. You gain power and wealth. While building
God’s Kingdom is difficult. The process is slow, tiring and oppressive. Its always
an experience of “delay gratification.” Thus the kingdom of God is out of the
picture.
But Jesus’
constant challenge is this: seek first the Kingdom of God!
Here is an
inspiring true story of Bartolome Blanco. He is from Cordoba, Spain and died as
a martyr during the Spanish Civil War. In 1936, the Spanish authorities
arrested him because he was a Catholic Leader and Secretary of the Catholic
Action in their place. At this time, Spain had a communist government and
implemented religious persecution. Bartolome was executed on October 2, 1936 at
21 years old.
He did not
protest when he was sentenced to death. When he was handcuffed, he kissed it to
the surprise of the soldier who place it on him. He walked at the site of his
execution barefooted “in order to be more conformed to Christ.” He refused to
be shot from behind because he was to die by firing squad. He said “whoever
dies for Christ should do so facing forward and standing straight.” He shouted
as he was showered with bullets: “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the
King!).
After his
death, they discovered a letter he wrote to her girlfriend Maruja. Aside from
expressing his love for her even at the point of death, she also exhorted her:
“Take on
as your primary objective the salvation of your soul.”
Towards
the end of the letter, he wrote: “Do not forget that I am looking at you from
heaven.. let my memory remind you that there is a better life, and that
attaining it should constitute our highest aspiration!”
Think about
this in moment of trials, temptations and tepidity. This about this thought
when you get tired of working for the Kingdom of God: “There is a better life! Attaining
it should constitute our highest aspiration.”
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