Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 490
Lectionary: 490
Brothers and
sisters:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
“a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
“a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1B-2, 5-6, 8A AND 9
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel LK 16:9-15
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Meditation: "Who will entrust to you the true
riches?"
What does
"tainted money" (or "unrighteous mammon") have to do with
heavenly treasure and eternal life? Jesus exhorts his disciples to be like the
shrewd steward who used money generously to make friends and win for himself a
secure and happy future (see the parable of the dishonest steward in
Luke 16:1-9). Generous giving is connected with alms-giving - the sharing of
our financial and material resources with those in need (Luke 12:33).
Those who receive alms become your friends because you are merciful to them in
their time of need, just as God is merciful to you in your need for his
forgiveness and help.
The rabbis had a
saying, "The rich help the poor in this world, but the poor help the rich
in the world to come." Ambrose, a 4th century bishop commenting on the
parable of the rich fool who tore down his barns to build bigger ones to store
his goods. said: The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the
mouths of children are the barns which last forever. The true treasure
which lasts is the treasure stored up for us in heaven. God richly rewards
those who give generously from the heart to help those in need.
True generosity
does not impoverish - but enriches - the giver
What is the enemy of generosity? It's greed, the excessive desire for personal gain and security. However, we do not need to be afraid for true generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person a hundredfold! Generosity expands the soul - but greed contracts it. God is generous and superabundant in lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outmatch God in generosity. He has given us the best of gifts in sending us his only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered up his life for us on the cross. The Father also offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the fruit of peace, joy, patience, kindness, love, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) - and many other blessings as well. Everything we have is an outright gift of God. Do you know the joy and freedom of blessing others with the gifts and resources God has given to you?
What is the enemy of generosity? It's greed, the excessive desire for personal gain and security. However, we do not need to be afraid for true generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person a hundredfold! Generosity expands the soul - but greed contracts it. God is generous and superabundant in lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outmatch God in generosity. He has given us the best of gifts in sending us his only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered up his life for us on the cross. The Father also offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the fruit of peace, joy, patience, kindness, love, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) - and many other blessings as well. Everything we have is an outright gift of God. Do you know the joy and freedom of blessing others with the gifts and resources God has given to you?
What controls or
rules your life?
Jesus concludes his parable with a lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things - the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamor of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires."
Jesus concludes his parable with a lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things - the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamor of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires."
When a number of the
religious leaders heard Jesus' parable they reacted with scorn (Luke 16:14).
Jesus spoke to the condition of their hearts - they were lovers of money (Luke
16:14). Love of money and wealth crowd out love of God and love of neighbor.
Jesus makes clear that our heart must either be possessed by God's love or our
heart will be possessed by the love of something else.
The Lord alone
can satisfy our desires and give us generous hearts
There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from greed and possessiveness. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ who died to set us free and who rose to give us new abundant life. The Lord Jesus invites us to make him the Master and Lord of our lives. He alone can can satisfy the desires of our heart and transform us in his love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from greed and possessiveness. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ who died to set us free and who rose to give us new abundant life. The Lord Jesus invites us to make him the Master and Lord of our lives. He alone can can satisfy the desires of our heart and transform us in his love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our money, time, and
possessions are precious resources and gifts from God. We can guard them jealously
for ourselves alone or allow the love of the Lord to guide us in making good
use of them for the benefit of others - especially those in need - and for the
work of the Lord in advancing his kingdom. Ask the Lord to fill your heart with
a spirit of generosity and joy in sharing what you have with others.
"Lord Jesus, may
the fire of your love burn in my heart that I may be wholly devoted to you
above all else. Free me from greed and attachment to material things that I may
be generous in using the gifts and resources you give me for your glory and for
the good of my neighbor."
.jpg) The Choice Between God and Mammon |
|
November 8, 2014.
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
|
|
Luke 16: 9-15
Jesus said to his
disciples: "I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest
wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in
great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also
dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with
dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not
trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No
servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or
be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon." The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and
sneered at him. And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the
sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an
abomination in the sight of God."
Introductory
Prayer: Father in heaven, I come
to you today to praise and worship you. In my faith, I reach out to you,
knowing that you love me and are leading me to heaven. I trust in your mercy
and boundless love.
Petition: Lord, help me to break the disordered attachments in my
life.
1. Earning
Trust: Parents know well what
this means! Discovering that your teenage child’s story about being at a
friend’s house studying was just that — a story — makes for a very unpleasant
realization. Trust has been broken. After the “grounding” takes effect, the
speech is then delivered: “Here’s what you do if you want to earn back our
trust…” Certainly the family car won’t be lent out again until progress in
the small things has been seen. That’s the message Jesus has for us today.
Our sins are like the trust-breakers of the teenage kid. They show we aren’t
ready for God’s greatest gifts, so we have to start with the small things.
Each grace we respond to opens the door to receiving another grace. If we are
trustworthy in very small matters, we can be trusted with the greater.
Following through on the everyday graces will someday lead to the grace of
graces: the Beatific Vision.
2. God and/or
Mammon: Part of earning trust
with God is getting our priorities straight. Taking a God-AND-mammon approach
to life is similar to trying to say the rosary while watching television. The
Hail Mary’s may come out, but they do so with as much reflection as is put
into breathing. We simply can’t have our cake and eat it too. Foolishly
entertaining any bad habits (our personal version of mammon) that erode our
commitment shows God that we are not spiritually mature enough to be fully
trusted. On the other hand, when we take a determined step to break these attachments,
we make a big step forward. God must come first!
3. Human Eyes See
Only Part of the Story: Naturally,
this effort to live a God-centered life is going to generate mixed reactions.
The Pharisees scorn Jesus for this: To them, he seems totally naïve about
money. Like them, if we see things only from a merely human perspective, big
chunks of reality elude us. Jesus is the one who has the complete picture. We
can trust him completely to lead us in the right direction. We won’t need to
hedge our bets with human props for our sense of security.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for
helping me to realize that your grace is more important than anything I could
ever have in this world. Break the hold of mammon in my life so that I might
serve you with greater purity of intention.
Resolution: I will make that sacrificial donation to charity that I
have been putting off.
By Father Steven
Reilly, LC
|
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, LUKE 16:9-15
(Philippians 4:10-19; Psalm 112)
(Philippians 4:10-19; Psalm 112)
KEY VERSE: "You cannot serve God and mammon" (v 13).
READING: Jesus taught his disciples that material goods should be used to build up the kingdom of God on earth. The phrase to make friends with "mammon" (dishonest wealth) roughly means to do good works with material possessions. Jesus told his disciples to be faithful and honest in all their dealings, whether large or small. If they could not be trusted with material goods, how could they be trusted in the greater matters of spiritual wealth? Jesus rebuked those whose values were turned upside down. He warned them that worldly goods could lead to dishonesty and greed. Then a person could end up being possessed by their possessions. One cannot be a servant of God and a slave to material goods at the same time.
REFLECTING: Which master do I serve, God or mammon?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to have a balanced attitude toward my earthly goods.
Saturday 8 November 2014
Philippians 4:10-19. Happy
are those who fear the Lord—Ps 111(112):1-2, 5-6, 8-9. Luke 16:9-15.
It is a great joy that you
have shown some concern for me.
Paul’s letter to the
Philippians rings with the tones of friendship. It is the simple message of a
man who is strong and resourceful, practised in the ways of hardship yet
grateful for the kindness of his friends. He is clearly able to withstand
physical difficulties after many years of living in poverty. Yet we can
recognise his need for the emotional support of his friends and his gratitude
for their loyalty.
This reading reminds us of
the human needs of each of us and the importance of being alert to the
psychological wellbeing of our friends and colleagues. How often do we give of
our time to listen to a friend, to sense what lies behind an angry outburst, to
recognise the emotional needs of the stranger? Perhaps poverty of the spirit is
the greatest poverty of all.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Expression of Love
|
God is all-loving and all-forgiving. There are no qualifications
to this and no exceptions. God is love, and sin is a turning away, a running
from God’s life-giving love. Having a clear understanding of sin is essential
to encountering God and his mercy. God’s forgiveness is another marvelous
expression of his great love for us.
November
8
Blessed John Duns Scotus
(c. 1266-1308)
Blessed John Duns Scotus
(c. 1266-1308)
A humble man, John Duns Scotus has been one of the most
influential Franciscans through the centuries.
Born at
Duns in the county of Berwick, Scotland, John was descended from a wealthy
farming family. In later years he was identified as John Duns Scotus to
indicate the land of his birth; Scotia is the Latin name for
Scotland.
John
received the habit of the Friars Minor at Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns
was superior. After novitiate John studied at Oxford and Paris and was ordained
in 1291. More studies in Paris followed until 1297, when he returned to lecture
at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later he returned to Paris to teach and
complete the requirements for the doctorate.
In an age
when many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualification, John
pointed out the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated
the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle and the Muslim philosophers—and still managed
to be an independent thinker. That quality was proven in 1303 when King Philip
the Fair tried to enlist the University of Paris on his side in a dispute with
Pope Boniface VIII. John Duns Scotus dissented and was given three days to
leave France.
In
Scotus’s time, some philosophers held that people are basically determined by
forces outside themselves. Free will is an illusion, they argued. An
ever-practical man, Scotus said that if he started beating someone who denied
free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn’t
really have a free will, how could he stop? John had a knack for finding
illustrations his students could remember!
After a
short stay in Oxford he returned to Paris, where he received the doctorate in
1305. He continued teaching there and in 1307 so ably defended the Immaculate
Conception of Mary that the university officially adopted his position. That
same year the minister general assigned him to the Franciscan school in Cologne
where John died in 1308. He is buried in the Franciscan church near the famous
Cologne cathedral.
Drawing
on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate
Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the "Subtle Doctor,"
was beatified in 1993.
Comment:
Father Charles Balic, O.F.M., the foremost 20th-century authority on Scotus, has written: "The whole of Scotus's theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man" (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1105).
Father Charles Balic, O.F.M., the foremost 20th-century authority on Scotus, has written: "The whole of Scotus's theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man" (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1105).
Quote:
Intelligence hardly guarantees holiness. But John Duns Scotus was not only brilliant, he was also humble and prayerful—the exact combination St. Francis wanted in any friar who studied. In a day when French nationalism threatened the rights of the pope, Scotus sided with the papacy and paid the price. He also defended human freedom against those who would compromise it by determinism.
Intelligence hardly guarantees holiness. But John Duns Scotus was not only brilliant, he was also humble and prayerful—the exact combination St. Francis wanted in any friar who studied. In a day when French nationalism threatened the rights of the pope, Scotus sided with the papacy and paid the price. He also defended human freedom against those who would compromise it by determinism.
Ideas are important.
John Duns Scotus placed his best thinking at the service of the human family
and of the Church.
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 16,9-15
Lectio:
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 16,9-15
Jesus said to his disciples: 'And so I tell you this: use money,
tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails
you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great.
If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches?
And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
'No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.'
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, 'You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God.
Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great.
If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches?
And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
'No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.'
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, 'You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents some words of Jesus concerning
goods. They are words and loose phrases and, we do not know in which context
they were said. Luke puts them here so as to form a small unity around the
correct use of the goods of this life and to help us to understand better the
sense of the parable of the dishonest steward (Lk 16, 1-8).
• Luke 16, 9: Use well the unjust money. "Use money tainted as it is, to win friends, and then make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” In the Old Testament, the more ancient word to indicate the poor (ani) means impoverished. It comes from the verb ana, to oppress, to lower. This affirmation recalls the parable of the dishonest steward, whose richness was unjust, dreadful. Here we have the context of the communities at the time of Luke, that is, of the years 80’s after Christ. At the beginning the Christian communities arose among the poor (cf. 1 Co 1, 26; Ga 2, 10). Little by little persons who were richer joined the communities. The entrance of the rich caused some problems which appear in the advice given in the Letter of James (Jm 2, 1-6;5, 1-6), in the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 11, 20-21) and in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 6, 24). These problems became worse toward the end of the first century, as it is said in the Apocalypse in its letter to the community of Laodicea (Rev 3, 17-18). The phrases of Jesus kept by Luke are a help to clarify and solve this problem.
• Luke 16, 10-12: To be faithful in small as well as in great things. “Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; and anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great. If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?” This phrase clarifies the parable of the dishonest steward. He was not faithful. That is why he was taken away from the administration. This word of Jesus also suggests how to give life, to put into practice the advice of making friends with unjust money. Today something similar takes place. There are persons who speak well of liberation, but at home they oppress the wife and their children. They are unfaithful in small things. Liberation begins in the small world of the family, of daily relationships among persons.
• Luke 16, 13: You cannot serve God and money. Jesus is very clear in his affirmation: No servant can be the slave of two masters; he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money”. Each one of us should make a choice, and ask himself/herself: “Whom do I put in the first place in my life: God or money? “In the place of the word money each one can put any other word: auto, employment, prestige, goods, house, image, etc. From this choice will depend the understanding of the advice on Divine Providence which follow (Mt 6, 25-34). It is not a question of a choice made only with the head, but of a very concrete choice of life which includes attitudes.
• Luke 16, 14-15: Criticism of the Pharisees who like money. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, “You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God”. On another occasion Jesus mentions the love of some Pharisees toward money: “You devour the property of widows, and rob in their houses and, and in appearance you make long prayers” (Mt 23, 14: Lk 20, 47; Mk 12, 40). They allowed themselves to be dragged by the wisdom of the world, of which Paul says: “Consider, brothers, how you were called; not many of you are wise by human standards, not many influential, not many from noble families. But God chose those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise; he chose those who by human standards are weak to shame the strong, those who by common standards are common and contemptible indeed those who count for nothing - to reduce to nothing all those who do count for something” (1 Cor 1, 26-28). Some Pharisees liked money, just like today some priests like money. The advice of Jesus and of Paul is valid for them.
• Luke 16, 9: Use well the unjust money. "Use money tainted as it is, to win friends, and then make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” In the Old Testament, the more ancient word to indicate the poor (ani) means impoverished. It comes from the verb ana, to oppress, to lower. This affirmation recalls the parable of the dishonest steward, whose richness was unjust, dreadful. Here we have the context of the communities at the time of Luke, that is, of the years 80’s after Christ. At the beginning the Christian communities arose among the poor (cf. 1 Co 1, 26; Ga 2, 10). Little by little persons who were richer joined the communities. The entrance of the rich caused some problems which appear in the advice given in the Letter of James (Jm 2, 1-6;5, 1-6), in the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 11, 20-21) and in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 6, 24). These problems became worse toward the end of the first century, as it is said in the Apocalypse in its letter to the community of Laodicea (Rev 3, 17-18). The phrases of Jesus kept by Luke are a help to clarify and solve this problem.
• Luke 16, 10-12: To be faithful in small as well as in great things. “Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; and anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great. If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?” This phrase clarifies the parable of the dishonest steward. He was not faithful. That is why he was taken away from the administration. This word of Jesus also suggests how to give life, to put into practice the advice of making friends with unjust money. Today something similar takes place. There are persons who speak well of liberation, but at home they oppress the wife and their children. They are unfaithful in small things. Liberation begins in the small world of the family, of daily relationships among persons.
• Luke 16, 13: You cannot serve God and money. Jesus is very clear in his affirmation: No servant can be the slave of two masters; he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money”. Each one of us should make a choice, and ask himself/herself: “Whom do I put in the first place in my life: God or money? “In the place of the word money each one can put any other word: auto, employment, prestige, goods, house, image, etc. From this choice will depend the understanding of the advice on Divine Providence which follow (Mt 6, 25-34). It is not a question of a choice made only with the head, but of a very concrete choice of life which includes attitudes.
• Luke 16, 14-15: Criticism of the Pharisees who like money. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, “You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God”. On another occasion Jesus mentions the love of some Pharisees toward money: “You devour the property of widows, and rob in their houses and, and in appearance you make long prayers” (Mt 23, 14: Lk 20, 47; Mk 12, 40). They allowed themselves to be dragged by the wisdom of the world, of which Paul says: “Consider, brothers, how you were called; not many of you are wise by human standards, not many influential, not many from noble families. But God chose those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise; he chose those who by human standards are weak to shame the strong, those who by common standards are common and contemptible indeed those who count for nothing - to reduce to nothing all those who do count for something” (1 Cor 1, 26-28). Some Pharisees liked money, just like today some priests like money. The advice of Jesus and of Paul is valid for them.
4) Personal questions
• You and money: what choice do you make?
• Faithful in small things. How do you speak of the Gospel and how do you live the Gospel?
• Faithful in small things. How do you speak of the Gospel and how do you live the Gospel?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh,
who delights in his commandments!
His descendants shall be powerful on earth,
the race of the honest shall receive blessings. (Ps 112,1-2)
who delights in his commandments!
His descendants shall be powerful on earth,
the race of the honest shall receive blessings. (Ps 112,1-2)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét