26th Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Lectionary Readings
Reading I: Amos 6:1a,4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7,8-9,9-10
Reading II: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Homily
As we pointed out last week, Chapter 16 of Luke’s gospel gives us a rather good look at Jesus’ teachings regarding wealth and poverty. The story in the second half of that chapter, of Lazarus and the rich man, helps us to understand the message of last Sunday, the steward who reduced his own commission so that he would have trade when he was dismissed from his present job—he was enterprising! So the punch line:

Make friends now by the use of this world’s goods so that when they fail you, you will have a lasting reception.

Many preachers have waxed eloquently about this story of Lazarus and Dives (I don’t know where that name comes from). The narrative tells us nothing about Lazarus, about his patience, his kindness, his whatever. What the story does tell us, and only that, is that their positions were exactly opposite. Lazarus was wealthy in death and the rich man was in torment. That is point one.

The second thing that is told to us in this story is that the teachings of Moses and the prophets concerning wealth have not been changed, but that even if someone would rise from the dead to proclaim that teaching, there will be those who still do not understand, or believe.

The teaching of the Pharisees, in the time of Jesus as well as that of Luke, was that riches and wealth was a sign of God’s favor. Why should it be shared with those who were in want when that very want was a sign of God’s displeasure with such people?

Today, we are even more insensitive than that! We often don’t even give God any credit at all for the wealth of His creation that is ours. We glibly go about our business as though we have a perfect right to not only use the grand creation around us but to abuse it as well. Air, energy, life, earth, water—all are being abused right and left. None of us are able to completely excuse ourselves in these matters.

What is the teaching of Jesus (of Moses and the prophets) and the church today about wealth and about poverty? It is simply this: that neither riches nor want is good or bad, graced or evil. It is how we use these things. Or how we abuse them. This is what counts. To be poor is not a blessing or a curse. It is how we conduct ourselves in that state.
Riches and wealth are neither a blessing nor an evil. It is how we conduct ourselves in that state of well-being.

What kind of stewards are we? Is our understanding of this world’s goods such that we share what we have in excess and even, when need be, that we share from our need?

Remember in Chapter 12 when we hear the teaching of Jesus: Avoid greed in all its forms, a man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.

Remember the rich man who had a grand harvest. He built bigger barns to store his grain. Now he was going to sit back and relax for years to come. Then we heard the awesome words: “You fool. This very night your life will be required of you.” Then to whom will all this piled up wealth of yours go?

Will we listen and hear? Can we be detached from those things over which we are given stewardship so that we can use such blessings for the good of neighbors in need?

Will we hear if someone rises from the dead?

Make friends for yourselves by your use of this world’s goods so that when they fail you a lasting reception will be yours.

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed
Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Lectionary Readings
Reading I: Amos 8:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6,7-8
Reading II: 1 Timothy 2:1-8
Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

Homily

Luke continues to take us, from Chapter 9 in his gospel, on the road with Jesus as he proceeds “resolutely” on his way to Jerusalem. As such, the image mirrors our own journey to the Kingdom of God.

What is the cost of being a follower of Jesus, a disciple of the Christian Way?

And more importantly, how can I be numbered among those who are of the Kingdom?

How can I assure that I will be invited to dine at the grand feast in the Kingdom of God?

These are the questions which have haunted us Sunday after Sunday for the past several months.

The values and lifestyles which we must aspire to and try to live by are being laid out for us little by little these past Sundays. They are markedly different from the values which pure secular men and women embrace. Our news media of late has shown the utter bankruptcy of such lack of values and we abhor the hypocrisy of both the accusers and the accused. Many Christians, those raised in the Way of Jesus, are almost in the state of shock at the total lack of any standards at all other than what is useful and expedient for each one’s own advantage. In comparison, we, as disciples of Jesus, are called to a Way of Life that is wonderfully refreshing, to the values of the Kingdom of God.

What values must I strive for to be invited to dine with the Christ of God?

Luke has presented the teachings of Jesus (on the road) in answer to this question. This is one of the relationships—how the Christian must relate to others (recall the discourse on humility or the parable of the Prodigal Son, or the story of the Good Samaritan neighbor). And Jesus’ values on how the Christian must relate to the things of this world, to our possessions…(remember the discourse on the Narrow Door, or the parable of the farmer who stored his abundant crop, setting himself to relax for years, to come only to be called to eternity that very night).

Today’s Lukan gospel continues this “relationship” teaching with regard to things—money and possessions. How must we relate, how do we use the resources of our world so that we will be numbered among those who are to dine in the heavenly Kingdom? This is the value articulated in our parable today.

You see, “things” in themselves are neither good or bad. It is the “use” of them that makes the difference. The Christian value is to use them in such a way that when they fail us (not “if” they fail us) we will have a lasting place in heaven.

The parable today points out how we tend to be more enterprising in our use of material things to gain a monetary (secular) profit than we are to gain an eternal profit (or advantage).

The story is often misunderstood. The deviousness of the steward is not what is lauded by Jesus, but his industry. In the culture of the day, a steward made his living by the mark-up on the goods which he sold—not unlike our modern middle men. So the steward in the parable discounted his own mark-up, taking less of a profit for himself in his design to win new employers.

Jesus is saying, would that his own followers were as enterprising—the willingness to take less now so that we might win the crown of eternal life, to dine at the feast of the Kingdom.

In answer to the question, “How can I be numbered among those who are saved?” we are called in this gospel teaching today to an enterprising relationship with this world’s goods so that when (not “if”) they fail us, we will have made friends for eternal life.


--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed
Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor

TwentyFourth Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Lectionary Readings
Reading I Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17,19
Reading II 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel Luke 15:1-32

Homily
At the end of the first century there was a pastoral problem facing the infant church communities. It is not unlike a pastoral problem, a problem of conscience, facing our churches and our extended families today.

How were they, these early converts to the values of Jesus, to treat their fallen comrades who had so happily embraced the “Christ Way” of life and who then deserted it, thumbing their noses at those who remained faithful? Some committed public sin, public acts of immorality; or had sacrificed to idols to gain a political or economic edge; or who had reported their fellow church members to the authorities, sometimes resulting in their martyrdom. These were serious breaches of loyalty. How were these traitors to be treated? Especially how were they to be treated when they confessed their crimes and asked to be readmitted to the Christian community?

Every church community and every family has its skeletons in closets. There are wandering sheep in each community. There is the errant son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, niece or nephew who have broken long-standing traditions, long-standing codes of conduct, accustomed values and morals. They have thumbed their noses at the church or at the family. Sometimes, the offenders are cut off, excommunicated, never to be spoken of again—worse than dead. It is not easy to forgive those kinds of hurts, insults, or traitors, especially within one’s own family.

We read in the Gospel today: The self-righteous were gathered around Jesus. And he told these three parables about the lost who are found. In that first century church there wasn’t any doubt about how these errant ones were to be welcomed back. Is there any doubt as to what we must do in the face of similar wrongs?

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed

Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor

TwentyThird Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Lectionary Readings

Reading I Wisdom 9:13-18b
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
Reading II Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Gospel Luke 14:25-33

Homily
Last Sunday we were presented with the image of a grand banquet as a concrete example of the values we must embrace. How can we be numbered among the guests invited to the “feast in the kingdom of God?” The point of the narrow door is illustrated: We are to seek the value inherent in rightly judging our own talents, treasures, and finances and to share those resources in such a way that the good we do does not come back to us. “When you give a banquet,” Jesus says, “Don’t invite the wealthy who can repay you.” Don’t put a hook on your generosity.

Years ago, when I was pastor of a poor rural parish in the foothills of the mountains, someone willed to the church 228 acres – with the stipulation that a seminary be built there! An impossible hook!

And today there is the shadow of the cross as a value of the Kingdom. It is as if Jesus is saying, “Be prepared to go the whole way.” “The lukewarm,” he said, “I will spew out of my mouth.”

As a very concrete example of what is expected of one who commits to the values of the Kingdom of God, the church presents today in the second reading the beautiful letter of Paul to Philemon. Let me tell you the story, but I want you to read the letter (takes about 3 minutes) yourself when you get home today. Use it as a before-brunch prayer. Read it out loud if you have a family. It’s a dandy.

Philemon was at least a middle-upperclass citizen of Colossae and was a convert to Christianity and baptized by Paul, who considered him as a spiritual son. The Church (the people) met at his home, which would have been of considerable size. He had purchased a slave whom he set in charge of his finances. It is estimated that a slave of that stature would have cost anywhere between $35,000 and $60,000 in today’s money. His name was Onesimus (Greek meaning “useful”) so we know he was a talented, skillful bookkeeper. Onesimus made off with enough of Philemon’s money to buy his freedom (in today’s money somewhere around $250,000). You can imagine that Philemon was as mad as a wet hen about that and set the wheels in motion to have him captured.

Onesimus escaped to distant Rome where he looked up Paul, who was under house arrest. He became a convert of Paul and was baptized by him, thus Paul now had two spiritual sons, making them (Philemon and Onesimus) brothers to each other.

Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon and asks Philemon to receive him as he would receive Paul and as a brother. Paul writes, “I will repay you whatever he owes you, but remember, dear Philemon, you owe me your very life!” So actually Philemon is in debt to Paul! (“I want to make you ‘useful’ to me—Refresh this heart of mine—do more than I ask.”)

What a letter. Talk about a pound of flesh. What does Jesus mean when he says, “Any who do not take up their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”?

If we hold the values of the Kingdom dear to us, we must be ready to pay the price and take up whatever comes our way, doing what we know in our hearts is the “right thing to do.” That’s the cost of being a disciple of the Lord, called to bring about the Kingdom in the world we touch.

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed
Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor