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17th Day

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Imitation: Book 1, Chapter 24

Of judgment and punishment of sinners

In all things look to the end and how you will stand before the strict judge, from Whom there is nothing hid, Who takes no bribes, receives no excuses, but will judge which is just. O miserable sinner, O foolish sinner, what will you answer to God, Who knows all your evil deeds—you who are sometimes afraid of an angry man? Why don’t you provide yourself against the day of judgment? When no man can be excused or defended by another, but each one will have to answer for himself?
St. Luke, Chapter 16:1-8

The crafty steward
He also said to his disciples, “There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship, because you are not to be my steward any longer.’ Then the steward said to himself, ‘Now that my master is taking the stewardship away from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”

The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.