Today’s readings reveal the restlessness of our hearts until we find the missing piece that makes us whole. It shows us how weak, frail, and sinful we can be when we live away from God, and it contrasts the life we will have when we accept Him as our Saviour.

In the Gospel Proclamation we read about the shrewd manager. It brings to light where and what the manager’s heart is set on. The Gospel Proclamation describes this manager as someone “who wasted possessions” that did not belong to him.

In this parable, the Rich Man is a representation of God the Father, and the duty given to the manager is to look after his property. This seems similar to the creation story, where God the Father gave authority and power to Adam to look after the Garden of Eden. There seems to be a message that is conveyed by both these readings, where the Lord Jesus is revealing to us, the call He has given us, which is ‘to look after his possessions’.

In the First Reading St. Paul speaks about the saving power of our Lord, without whom we are not able to fulfil this purpose and as a result are restless. This restlessness drives us to fill ourselves from empty wells which we look up to as gods though not satisfying. It can be gods of money, personal glory, power or recognition. He reminds us how much we need the Lord in our lives and how dependent we should be on Him, without whom it is impossible to please the Father.

St. Augustine of Hippo says, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. No one knows what he himself is made of, … but you, Lord know everything about a human being because you have made him.”

Let this be the cry of our hearts; for our hearts to find rest in Him. And when this happens, we can say together with the Psalmist, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Ps 122:1).

Prayer: Abba Father, may my heart find true rest in knowing You more deeply. Amen.

Source: On our Knees publication (November Edition)