Holy Urgency

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Gospel is one of those passages that can make us stop and ask, “Wait… is Jesus actually praising this dishonest steward?” Not exactly. Jesus is not praising his dishonesty. He is praising his decisiveness. The steward suddenly realises that his situation is about to change, and once he understands that, he acts. He does not waste time. He does not pretend everything is fine. He does not say, “Maybe I’ll deal with this later.” He recognises that the moment is urgent, and he does something about it. And maybe that is the uncomfortable question Jesus places before us today: Why are we often more serious about temporary things than we are about eternal things?

Think about how much energy we can give to things that will eventually disappear. We plan our finances, our careers, our holidays, our homes, our future. We worry about what people think of us. We protect our reputation. We make backup plans. None of those things are necessarily bad. But then when it comes to our soul, we can become strangely casual. “I’ll pray when I have more time.” “I’ll go to confession eventually.” “I’ll forgive that person one day.” “I’ll get serious about God later.” The steward in the Gospel understands one thing very clearly: later is not guaranteed.

There is a kind of holy urgency that every Christian needs. Not fear. Not panic. Urgency. The awareness that this life matters because it is preparing us for eternity. Every day we are spending something we can never get back: time. Every conversation, every choice, every act of love, every opportunity to forgive or serve is part of the life God has entrusted to us. And the question is not simply, “What am I doing with my money?” The deeper question is: What am I doing with everything God has placed in my hands?

The steward uses what is temporary to prepare for what comes next. That is where the Gospel becomes very personal. Our possessions are temporary. Our position is temporary. Even our bodies are temporary. But love is not temporary. Mercy is not temporary. The good we do for another person is not wasted. The time we give to prayer is not wasted. The forgiveness we offer, the kindness nobody notices, the sacrifice nobody applauds—these things have eternal weight. Maybe wisdom is learning to use what passes away in the service of what lasts forever.

So perhaps today Jesus is asking us to become a little more intentional. If there is someone to forgive, why keep waiting? If there is a sin that needs to be brought to confession, why keep carrying it? If prayer has slowly disappeared from our life, why not begin again today? We do not know how much time we have, but we do know what we have been given now. And holiness often begins when we stop saying, “Someday,” and start saying, “Lord, today.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to live with holy urgency. Help me not to waste the time, gifts, and opportunities You have given me. Give me wisdom to use what is temporary for what is eternal. Free me from delay, distraction, and excuses, and give me the courage to choose You today. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko