Word to the Wise
Saturday, November 10, 2018 - Saturday in the 31th Week in Ordinary Time
[Phil 4:10-19 and Luke 16:9-15]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. [Philippians] " No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love to other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon." [Luke]
NOVEMBER 10 ST. LEO THE GREAT, pope and doctor of the church]
It is nothing new to say that we in the USA live in a consumer-oriented society that has also been characterized as a "throw-away" culture. The symbols of success are material: homes, cars, clothing, medical resources, vacations. education, etc.. With these comes the power to impact the lives of other people who do not have those same material benefits. St. Paul shows himself indifferent to them because he views his faith as his most important asset and his "circumstances" as secondary. The Gospel According to Luke shows Jesus speaking frequently about the dangers of material possessions. The passage follows a controversial parable about a dishonest steward who uses his dishonest gains to make friends with his master's debtors so that when he loses his job, he will have friends to take care of him! He, of all people, showed himself wise in using material things dishonestly gained for advantage. Why can't Christians use material things, honestly gained, to help others and thereby help themselves?
Perhaps the answer lies in the "bubble effect" that material possessions can create - a kind of illusory security. Another parable in the Gospel According to Luke illustrates that, the one about the Rich Fool who thinks he can guarantee his future with bigger barns instead of sharing his bounty. [Luke 12:16-21] A popular way of putting it, which I sometimes hear from folks is, "I don't own my stuff. My stuff owns me!" If we reach that point, it's time to read that parable and think about a new way forward! We cannot serve both God and mammon. AMEN