“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? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property.
In his popular study, The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional, Agustín Fuentes, describes the process of millennia by which human beings created themselves and their world. It is a scientific study without direct reference to the LORD, but neither does it dismiss God's creative presence. Dr. Fuentes references the fossil record to present his thesis that this particular type of great ape, homo sapiens, although not as strong as several other types, including today's orangutans and gorillas, survived and thrived because of their willingness to cooperate and coordinate their efforts.
He argues further that we have created the world in which we live, that there is hardly a rock or tree which has not been planted or allowed to stand where it is. If medieval people assumed that God has appointed certain families to rule and others to serve, modern people exercise the right to elect, cooperate with, and dismiss their leaders one by one, or by their party. No one enjoys a divine right to govern.
Our languages are our own creation, and we alter them frequently by daily usage; no item of technology is not created by human ingenuity; for a hundred thousand years or more, we have built the infrastructures we take for granted. Our laws, learning, and languages are created by cooperating human beings.
In today's parable, Jesus seems to acknowledge that even the Household of God is our creation,
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom;" and,
"...the master will put the servant in charge of all his property."
The verses reflects Genesis 1:28 --
"God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth."
If the Roman Catholic church is not a democracy, as prelates like to point out, I've never met an adult Catholic who did not freely exercise their ability to vote with their collection envelopes and their feet. These, along with opinions expressed to leaders and peers, can be far more effective than voting.
The privilege of creating the Church, however, cost something:
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
God's presence and authority remain in the Spirit who governs our Church. It is a willing spirit of self-renunciation. It is like that creative spark which Professor Agustin describes; it transforms the Earth, making it a place of beauty, a paradise for Adam and Eve, their descendants and all their dominion.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.