DOES NOT RENOUNCE ALL HIS POSSESSIONS

Phil 2,12-18; Ps 26; Lk 14,25-33
7 NOVEMBER

The word of Jesus is clear and unequivocal: “So anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple”. It is right to ask oneself: “What is Jesus’ true thought regarding this Word?” Knowing it is essential, in order not to fall into those ideological and almost always diabolical conclusions, the only fruit of sin and vice that governs our own mind and guides our heart. Renunciation is not in the disintegration of what one possesses. Never has Jesus asked such a thing. Jesus did not make a Church of the poor. He made his Apostles poor, that is, his Missionaries, those who must go to the world, because he entrusted them to the Providence of his Father. All others must remain in the condition in which they were called. What then is renunciation? It is the abandonment of our lordship over every good that we possess, so that the Lord of them is only our God, who will use us as his true administrators. Thus we move from being masters to becoming administrators. Only one thing is asked of the administrator: that he is always faithful in his ministry and he is faithful if he respects the will of the owner. We cannot be unfaithful as the administrator of the evangelical parable. Saint Paul asks for high fidelity also in the administration of the divine mysteries. For Peter we are not masters, but servants.

Then he also said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings (Lk 16,1-9). Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy (1Cor 4,1). So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, (overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory (1Pt 5,1-4).

Renunciation is not to the goods, but to the Lordship over them. The Lord is constituted as a Father. We put us at his service for the administration of every good delivered to him.

Great crowds were travelling with him, and he turned and addressed them, “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

The administrator must serve the goods of his Master with all wisdom and intelligence.

Faithful Virgin, Angels and Saints make us wise, prudent and intelligent administrators of God.