Friday of week 31, year 2

Secularism vs. Secularity

Luke 16:1-8 

It's significant that the Lord will not make an accounting based solely on how we prayed and did our religious practices.

We will have an accounting of our lives on how we've used all gifts given to us, whether spiritual or material.

Too much preoccupation in material things is called materialism or secularism.  This ideology says that only material things matter.

In the gospel, the lesson is not in the corruption of the corrupt steward; it's how effectively he used his expertise of transacting businesses.

The Christian should also know how to deal with the world without being eaten by the affairs of this world.   This is called "secularity".

Secularity is recognizing the good of this world, because they come from God.

Secondly, the goods of this world are to be used for the good of peoples and not for selves.  We will always come to know that accumulation of things has no value in themselves.  They are wasted because we would only need so much.  They need to be distributed to others.

Thirdly, we need to use them to glorify God by making sure all these material things serve and are consecrated to Him.

Let us make use of the things of this world to lead us to know, love, adore, and serve God.