NOTES: 1] Following on parables about 'lostness', is Jesus illustrating how not to become lost? 2] Fr. Brendan Byrne (The Hospitality of God, Liturgical Press, 2000, p.134) suggests the steward simply 'strips away' his own inflated cut of the money owing. This would be a way of making sense of a parable otherwise seeming to send a doubtful message.

WARMING UP: How do we feel when we receive an account showing we owe more than we believe to be correct?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Identify God at work in anything that's happened since last week's group?

EXPLORING GOSPEL:

1-2       How strong is our expectation that One Day, God will ask us for an accounting? Or has that kind of expectation not high on today's church agenda? Are we squandering anything that rightly belongs to God? Or anyone else? What might happen if God summarily called in our debts to him right now? Or, someone we have dealings with called in our debts - of any kind -  to them? Is repaying a favour ("You owe me!") a way we get into trouble with others, or the law today? Is debt a matter of shame or just part & parcel of the way  society works now?

3-4      Do we have any strategies in place for living life: a) everyday? b) after some personal disaster? Any contingency plans? How important is it to us to be in, to continue in, good standing with people who think well of us? Are there any relationships we might be better off without?  Do we ever 'audit' our relationships in any way?

5-7      Is there any means of quantifying how much we owe God? How conscious are we that it is a debt? When we pray: 'Forgive us our sins (MT has 'debts') as we forgive those who sin against us (= those who owe us) what are we really asking? When we pray the 'Lord's Prayer' are we specific enough about our debt(s) to God & debts we owe / owed to us by others?

8-9     If his master commends the agent for the steps he takes, why do we traditionally think of him as 'dishonest', 'shifty', or similar? How about 'shewd', 'prudent', or something else less pejorative? If Brendan Byrne (n.2, above) is on the right track, does that affect the way we think of the agent? When we act in ways similar to him, what description do we use of ourself?  How much are we a 'child of this age', & how much a child of light? What does it mean to be either? Do we have any 'dishonest wealth' - of any kind - that we ought to be using to make sure we have an eternal dwelling place?

10-13  Are we ourselves faithful in little, or much? Dishonest in little, or much? Can one be a little unfaithful, a little dishonest? Or, is it faithful all the way, honest all the way, OR unfaithful all the way, dishonest all the way? Are we fit to entrust with 'true riches'? Or do we have some clearing of the decks to do? Have we ever had an experience of trying to serve two masters / mistresses? Where did it land us? Is there really nothing in between love & hate? If we can't serve God & wealth, are we at least using our wealth - of any kind - to serve God? Or is that a no-no, too?