Readings for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Am 8:4-7
The Prophet Amos holds the faithful to a higher standard than the shrewd business people who lead them. He reminds them that the Lord will had them to account if they deal badly with the poor and the weak.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
The special place the poor have in God’s eyes is echoed in this song of praise from Psalm 113. In the final strophe of the passage the promise of God’s support and salvation is promised, linking nicely to the reading from Amos above.
Reading II 1 Tm 2:1-8
St. Paul instructs Timothy and his followers on the communal prayers of the Church. He makes it clear that every one is to be prayed for from the King to the servants. His intentions make it clear that he came to bring the Gentiles the good news and that there should be unity in Christ.
The final verse is an instruction on the posture of communal prayer “every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.”
Gospel Lk 16:1-13
The common practice at the time this parable was told was for the steward to receive interest or commission on the amounts owed to their masters. There for, in this account, when the dishonest steward reduces the amount owed to his master, he is really just retrieving the actual amount owed – hence the master’s praise. The lesson taught by this story is that we be prudent with material wealth.
Or LK 16:10-13
The focus of this alternate reading changes from the prudent use of material wealth to one of trust and dedication. The Lord defines trustworthiness as a character trait, if present it will be there in large and small matters and if absent, it will be absent in all instances as well.
Concluding both readings is the statement “You cannot serve God and mammon." A third conclusion of the story, wealth in this statement is cast as a god. We can have but one.
Reflection:
We listen to the whole body of scripture today which is one of those very practical messages that tells us how we live as God’s children in the secular world. We begin with the Prophet Amos who is reminding his audience over seven hundred years before Christ that if they deal shrewdly with the poor and hoard their wealth, God will remember their acts of greed when they come before him in judgment. This is supported by the Psalm which praises God and reminds us that our acts of generosity to the poor echo God’s own plan, that all may have dignity before him.
Next we come to St. Paul instructing Timothy at the Church of the Ephesians. His cornerstone theme is embedded in this passage. All Christians are one in Christ. This means that we are to serve one another and that no one should suffer when there are resources within the community to prevent it. Material wealth is shared with those less fortunate.
If we hear this message clearly in the first three examples today, the Gospel message from St. Luke becomes almost anticlimactic (although in the longer form of St. Luke’s Gospel we are given three conclusions, not just one). The first of these is actually a bit of a warning. The story in the parable of the dishonest steward demonstrates that caution must be exercised when dealing with those in the secular world in maters of material wealth. (The implication is that we should not have to worry about that when dealing within the community of faith.)
The second conclusion is that trust is a matter of character (and should be the hall mark of Christian character). If a person is trustworthy, they may be trusted in large or small matters, temptation will not dissuade them from their honest and faithful trust. If, on the other hand, a person is not trustworthy even small trusts will be violated.
The final conclusion summarizes the lesson today. One may not serve two masters, God and wealth. If our prize is eternal life then our eyes must be fixed firmly on God. Yes, we use the gifts he has given us to make our way in the world. We also make sure that our brothers and sisters are helped along the way. But our efforts are for God’s glory not for the sake of accumulating wealth. Wealth is its own prize and the rewards end with this life.
We have a good reminder of a very practical aspect of Christian values today. Let us pray that our efforts reveal God’s glory and our own wealth help those in need. Let us remember that in all things we are children of the light and greed has no place with us.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is Mammon by George Fredrick Watts, 1884-85
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Am 8:4-7
The Prophet Amos holds the faithful to a higher standard than the shrewd business people who lead them. He reminds them that the Lord will had them to account if they deal badly with the poor and the weak.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
The special place the poor have in God’s eyes is echoed in this song of praise from Psalm 113. In the final strophe of the passage the promise of God’s support and salvation is promised, linking nicely to the reading from Amos above.
Reading II 1 Tm 2:1-8
St. Paul instructs Timothy and his followers on the communal prayers of the Church. He makes it clear that every one is to be prayed for from the King to the servants. His intentions make it clear that he came to bring the Gentiles the good news and that there should be unity in Christ.
The final verse is an instruction on the posture of communal prayer “every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.”
Gospel Lk 16:1-13
The common practice at the time this parable was told was for the steward to receive interest or commission on the amounts owed to their masters. There for, in this account, when the dishonest steward reduces the amount owed to his master, he is really just retrieving the actual amount owed – hence the master’s praise. The lesson taught by this story is that we be prudent with material wealth.
Or LK 16:10-13
The focus of this alternate reading changes from the prudent use of material wealth to one of trust and dedication. The Lord defines trustworthiness as a character trait, if present it will be there in large and small matters and if absent, it will be absent in all instances as well.
Concluding both readings is the statement “You cannot serve God and mammon." A third conclusion of the story, wealth in this statement is cast as a god. We can have but one.
Reflection:
We listen to the whole body of scripture today which is one of those very practical messages that tells us how we live as God’s children in the secular world. We begin with the Prophet Amos who is reminding his audience over seven hundred years before Christ that if they deal shrewdly with the poor and hoard their wealth, God will remember their acts of greed when they come before him in judgment. This is supported by the Psalm which praises God and reminds us that our acts of generosity to the poor echo God’s own plan, that all may have dignity before him.
Next we come to St. Paul instructing Timothy at the Church of the Ephesians. His cornerstone theme is embedded in this passage. All Christians are one in Christ. This means that we are to serve one another and that no one should suffer when there are resources within the community to prevent it. Material wealth is shared with those less fortunate.
If we hear this message clearly in the first three examples today, the Gospel message from St. Luke becomes almost anticlimactic (although in the longer form of St. Luke’s Gospel we are given three conclusions, not just one). The first of these is actually a bit of a warning. The story in the parable of the dishonest steward demonstrates that caution must be exercised when dealing with those in the secular world in maters of material wealth. (The implication is that we should not have to worry about that when dealing within the community of faith.)
The second conclusion is that trust is a matter of character (and should be the hall mark of Christian character). If a person is trustworthy, they may be trusted in large or small matters, temptation will not dissuade them from their honest and faithful trust. If, on the other hand, a person is not trustworthy even small trusts will be violated.
The final conclusion summarizes the lesson today. One may not serve two masters, God and wealth. If our prize is eternal life then our eyes must be fixed firmly on God. Yes, we use the gifts he has given us to make our way in the world. We also make sure that our brothers and sisters are helped along the way. But our efforts are for God’s glory not for the sake of accumulating wealth. Wealth is its own prize and the rewards end with this life.
We have a good reminder of a very practical aspect of Christian values today. Let us pray that our efforts reveal God’s glory and our own wealth help those in need. Let us remember that in all things we are children of the light and greed has no place with us.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is Mammon by George Fredrick Watts, 1884-85
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