There is a story about a young man named Daniel 

Who worked at a small grocery store. 

He was not the manager but a stock boy 

And he took his job seriously. 

One day Daniel noticed a co-worker sneaking 

Extra items into a bag without scanning them- 

And it wasn’t much, just a couple of snacks. 

But Daniel knew it was wrong. 

He hesitated. 

But then he went to the owner of the store. 

He didn’t want to cause trouble. 

But something in his heart told him 

That if he ignored this, bigger things might follow. 

So he quietly reported this to the manager. 

The co-worker was corrected and the owner, 

Impressed with Daniel’s honesty, 

Later promoted him to a higher position. 

Years down the line, Daniel became the store manager 

And he was known for running the business 

With integrity and trust. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the story 

Of the dishonest steward who was caught 

Wasting his master’s goods. 

And the steward, though dishonest, 

Is praised for his shrewdness 

Because he acts wisely in securing his future. 

But as the story goes on, Jesus makes this important point 

That we heard in the gospel. 

The person who is untrustworthy in small things 

Will also be dishonest in great things. 

And the person who is trustworthy 

In very small things is also trustworthy in large ones. 

And the story is meant to remind us 

That God watches how we handle little things, 

Our daily decisions, our honesty in small matters, 

And our faithfulness in what is entrusted to us. 

If we are faithful with small responsibilities, 

God will entrust us with more. 

And so like Daniel in our story, 

We’re all given choices every day, 

At work, in our families, in our relationships. 

Do we cut corners? 

Do we ignore small wrongs thinking, “that won’t matter?” 

Or do we stay faithful even when no one is watching? 

Jesus reminds us we cannot serve two masters. 

If we try to serve both God and wealth, 

Or both honesty and integrity, or dishonesty, 

We will eventually be divided in our hearts. 

So instead, we are called to be faithful stewards of all 

That God has given to us, 

Our time, our talents, our treasure. 

Today we’re asked to reflect on this important question. 

Are we living with integrity? 

And how we answer that question matters, and here’s why. 

The greatest treasure we gain is not wealth, 

But the joy of one day hearing God say to us, 

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”