Our Responsibilities as Stewards of God

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

September 22, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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Readings: Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13

15th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2025 Homily – Abp. Hines

As we continue to study Scriptures, we should be allowing the Holy Spirit to unveil things to us. In the olden times, God was known for His character. He is the Healer, the Provider, El Shaddai.

Amos 8:4-5 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales.”

This is taking advantage of our lack. We see the price of commodities going up, but we are helpless to do anything about it.

1 Timothy 2:1- “First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.”

The Gospel today tells us that we are His stewards. We are His partners. God blessed man to be productive. He wants us to be the ones to do the work, not the machines. We are ambassadors of Christ. In the Gospel, we find a rich man who had a steward. The time came when the steward was supposed to give an accounting of what he had done with what he had been entrusted with. Because the master discovered that the steward had mismanaged the possessions, he told the steward he could no longer be a manager and was going to dismiss him. But the steward pleaded and went back to all his master’s debtors one by one to ask them to return what they owed but in a lesser capacity or quantity. So they complied, and this time, the master commended the steward for being shrewd. He said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” If we are stewards of God on this earth that when the stewardship is taken away from us, it is death.

When Christ saved us, He also gave us responsibilities to account for what we have done with these responsibilities. One day, we will give an accounting of what we have or have not done with what was given to us, because we are stewards. Nature will respond to what man does. Our task is to care, to help, to reach out. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 “This is the way any person is to regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” We are supposed to be working with God. We are to handle the unrighteous for the purpose of bringing them back to Christ. Our goal is redemption. If we are able to handle the unrighteousness properly, then we will be given more. How can God give us more if we do not properly handle that which He has asked of us?

As stewards, we are to take care of others. We are to help prepare for the afterlife. He has given us the authority. The Kingdom of God should draw us closer to God. We should take care of the things He has asked us to be in charge of. We must use these for charity. There will be times when we will be tempted, but we must be wiser. God has blessed us to be a blessing.