ONE  SMART COOKIE

[The following is the Gospel for today - the 31st  Friday in Ordinary Time. It's followed by a first draft story that I wrote this morning. It is an attempt to put some modern flesh on Jesus' story about a man who was one smart cookie.]

Luke 16: 1-8

Jesus said to his disciples,

 “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him

 for squandering his property.

He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’

The steward said to himself,

‘What shall I do,
now that my master

is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig

and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’

He called in his master’s debtors one by one.

To the first he said, 

‘How much do you owe my master?’

He replied,  ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’

He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’

Then to another he said,

‘And you, how much do you owe?’

He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’

He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’

And the master commended

that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing 

with their own generation
than the children of light.”

Jesus said to his disciples,

 “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him

 for squandering his property.

He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’

The steward said to himself,

‘What shall I do,
now that my master

is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig

and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’

He called in his master’s debtors one by one.

To the first he said,

‘How much do you owe my master?’

He replied,  ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’

He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’

Then to another he said,

‘And you, how much do you owe?’

He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’

He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’

And the master commended

that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing 
with their own generation
than the children of light.”

ONE SMART COOKIE

Bill was one smart cookie.

He worked for the governor of a small state out west for 4 years.

He moved up the organizational ladder – till he became the key guy in the governor’s office. He was the guy to call. He was the guy to see. He was the guy who made things work.

He hired and fired. He handled money and he handled lobbyists.

When the governor’s first term was heading into his 4^th year – everyone said the governor was a shoe-in for re-election.

Bill was one smart cookie.

He thought secretly – he didn’t dare say what he thought publicly – but he had suspicions – tides were turning.

So he made friends in ways he hadn’t made friends in the past – just in case the governor was not re-elected. Uh oh, he took bribes – pocketed lots of money – just in case – just in case the governor lost in his bid for a second term.

Lobbyists loved him this past year. Lobbyists distanced themselves from him – when the governor lost by 9 % - even though the papers had him winning by 14% of the vote.

Then came the shocker. Accusations appeared in the papers and on the evening news  - all about Bill. His family closed their blinds – stayed mostly in the house – went out the side door or back door – the few times they went out.

Bill’s kids hid as well – no longer bragging that their dad had this big job for the governor. His two daughters were married and they were thankful they had new last names – even though one was a long Polish and the other a long Italian last names – both ending in i – and their maiden names were a simple one syllable Irish last name.

The grand jury called for a trial.

Bill talked to the best lawyers in town. He knew who they were.

They advised, “Plead guilty! You’ll get a lesser sentence.”

They added, “It will be quicker that way. Your name will be out of the news sooner – and it will be easier for your family. It’s tough dealing with a long drawn out public trial.”

Bill was one smart cookie.

He pleaded guilty.

He got 5 years in prison – an easy prison at that – with the possibility of parole after 2 years. He could have gotten a lesser sentence if he offered names – and other under the table deals – that the prosecutors knew were happened – but Bill decided: “Nope. I might need some of these folks some day.”

Bill had a goodly amount of money in the bank and good investments – and he knew how to protect it – just in case…. Just in case.

Bill was one smart cookie.

In prison Bill got religion. He was Catholic – but really mainly in name only.

He knew he was a CEWF Catholic: A Christmas, Easter, Weddings, Funerals Catholic. He made his deals and promises to God when he got a cancer scare there a few years ago – and a heart scare last year – and when both his mom and dad got sick.

He prayed for Good Weather for Golf Tournaments – Big Games – and the wedding of his two daughters.  He got what he wished for each time.

He knew how to make deals – even with God.

Bill was one smart cookie.

Prison – even though he was in one of those so called, “Posh Prisons” – it was much tougher than expected.

His wife visited him every Saturday.

His daughters and their husbands came every other month – with their small kids.

Those moments made it  easier.

He read.

He cleaned toilets.

He worked on the lawns.

He worked in the kitchen.

He had to deal with a tight prison cell – locked doors – and lots of depression.

He got God at the end of that first year.

In fact, he discovered that God was not a God of deals – but a God who loved everyone and everything – even the worst of thieves – or the best of thieves. Bill was know in the papers for a while  as, “The Prince of Thieves.”

He got that God doesn’t bargain.

God just loves.

God just waits.

God just challenges – in sneaky – very patient ways.

Near the end of his second year in prison – he started talking to his wife about God and all this.

He didn’t nag her about her faith life.

He didn’t try to convert her.

He simply started telling her his own inner thoughts.

His tears – at times – slid down his face – and into her way of thinking and she slowly changed as well.

She started talking to the kids on the phone what their dad had said and what she was thinking.

This got them thinking – and a Catholic Faith in that family that had basically disappeared for two generations came back – this time with a depth of honesty and  joy.

That First Friday after Bill got out of prison - he and his wife were at their local church – for a Mass of Thanksgiving. The gospel read was all about the dishonest steward. He   was also a very smart steward – who had set himself and his family – for the future -just in case  he lost his job or got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Bill looked up at Jesus in the front of the church on the altar during the Mass. He felt his presence in the images in the stained glass windows – as well as in the big crucifix in the front of the church – as well as in the tabernacle.

As he sat there he realized Jesus loved Good Thieves – and Bad Thieves - and all thieves.

Bill winked at Jesus saying, “You’re one smart cookie!”

And Bill smiled when he heard Jesus say in return, “Bill you’re one smart cookie!” 

At that Bill elbowed his wife – and she wondered for the rest of the Mass – what that was all about.