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