31st Saturday in Ordinary Time (Year C, Nov 8, 2025)
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your heart; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Lk 16:15)
We all have an Operating System designed by God. It is the Operating System of who I really am, my spirit or soul. Sometimes, as in today’s gospel, it is called our heart. It is that which fills every molecule of our bodies and is most truly me and most truly God. Because my spirit is my union with God and is completely God-given, it can never be taken away nor earned. The reason why we exist is to share in the Person of God. “We are God’s children now, but what we shall be has not been revealed.” When we pass from this earth to the Father, how we have lived this mystery will define us.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is trying to explain to his disciples this core of our existence. He uses the lure of wealth as a door into this mystery of our true greatness and how we can be true to our operating system. He speaks of trustworthiness, caritas/love, devotion. And then he reveals something very important. He says we cannot serve two masters. Our operating system does not deal in dualities. At some point in our lives we have to take the decision about whom we choose to serve. We have to get off the fence and really try to live in God by the Spirit.
When I live by the Spirit, I am being the person I am created to be. We all know that our bodies do not define our essence. They are the instruments God has created to serve in this world and to share his presence through our presence lived in love, humility, joy. Our Operating System is not designed to follow what is of worldly wisdom, as Jesus points out today. It works optimally when we live from the inside out. When we make our values those of God’s values.
“God knows our hearts” Jesus tells us today. What a comforting thought. He knows our hearts because he dwells there. May we spend time with Him in the quiet of our hearts today and let the love and goodness He is permeate who we are.