Readings for Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Rom 4:20-25
St. Paul continues to develop his “salvation through faith” apologetic. In this passage he again uses Abraham (clearly addressing a predominantly Jewish audience) whose faith in God caused him to behave in righteous ways. Faith in Jesus must be on the same level since his passion was suffered for our salvation.
Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This responsorial psalm is part of the Canticle of Zachariah who recites this song to his son, St. John the Baptist, at his birth. He reminds the infant St. John that God is faithful to his promises and proclaims the Savior’s mission of salvation, a promise to Abraham, as a fulfillment of that promise.
Gospel Lk 12:13-21
Jesus uses the parable of the Rich Landowner to emphasize the need to focus on the spiritual gifts not just on material goods. He tells the one who wishes to have Jesus arbitrate a dispute with that person’s brother to take care against greed.
Reflection:
The Gospel message today is, for the adult living in the modern world, one of the most difficult of Jesus’ axioms to come to grips with. Society views people with many possessions as being successful. In every human culture this is true. If one lives comfortably free from financial worries, content with all the food they need, having substantial property and creature comforts, that person is considered to have spent their effort and life well.
Yet today, the Lord tells his “friend” to be careful not to fall victim to the sin of greed. We ask ourselves; when does our responsibility to family and to self stop being that “responsibility” and start becoming greed? Let’s examine that tipping point in our attitudes.
We are taught in the school of life that our lives are to be spent providing the following for the family of which we are a part – First, a place to live, a home. This is shelter from the elements and safety from natural predators. Second we are to provide food for ourselves and our family. In an agrarian society this meant either tending crops or herds of animals (I am skipping the “hunter gatherer” stage). In a modern family this means multiple members of the family may work outside the home to provide income for food and to maintain the domicile.
This is where things start to get blurry. What exactly are we working for? This question varies depending on where in the world we live but in all cases there is a point at which what we work for drives our effort beyond what we need into what we want, in short our greed. At some point each person must evaluate the balance of their effort and ask; “Am I doing this because I need (a bigger house, another car, the latest sound systems, a pool) or because I want?
In some this distinction becomes irrelevant since they do not understand that there is something more important than having the best or the most of everything. There are others who believe that society owes them the basics (shelter and food) and that they are not required to do anything but accept this charity, squandering their efforts or worse making none.
We, however, as Disciples of Christ must take a close look at the balance of our life’s efforts. We need to spend enough of our effort providing for ourselves and our families and the much of the rest developing that treasure for the heavenly kingdom. The difficult part of this equation is finding that balance. It is so easy to rationalize that working for something that falls into the greed category is really a need.
For us the tool to help us find the right balance is prayer. The Lord prayed constantly. Elsewhere in St. Luke’s we are told to pray persistently for guidance. That is where we need to be – as we pursue the use of the talents our Lord gave us. We receive with gratitude what is offered for the greater glory of God and use those resources in a balanced way. We remember that is for God’s glory we do what we do and it is his treasure we truly value.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is Faith by Giuseppe Angeli, 1754
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Rom 4:20-25
St. Paul continues to develop his “salvation through faith” apologetic. In this passage he again uses Abraham (clearly addressing a predominantly Jewish audience) whose faith in God caused him to behave in righteous ways. Faith in Jesus must be on the same level since his passion was suffered for our salvation.
Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This responsorial psalm is part of the Canticle of Zachariah who recites this song to his son, St. John the Baptist, at his birth. He reminds the infant St. John that God is faithful to his promises and proclaims the Savior’s mission of salvation, a promise to Abraham, as a fulfillment of that promise.
Gospel Lk 12:13-21
Jesus uses the parable of the Rich Landowner to emphasize the need to focus on the spiritual gifts not just on material goods. He tells the one who wishes to have Jesus arbitrate a dispute with that person’s brother to take care against greed.
Reflection:
The Gospel message today is, for the adult living in the modern world, one of the most difficult of Jesus’ axioms to come to grips with. Society views people with many possessions as being successful. In every human culture this is true. If one lives comfortably free from financial worries, content with all the food they need, having substantial property and creature comforts, that person is considered to have spent their effort and life well.
Yet today, the Lord tells his “friend” to be careful not to fall victim to the sin of greed. We ask ourselves; when does our responsibility to family and to self stop being that “responsibility” and start becoming greed? Let’s examine that tipping point in our attitudes.
We are taught in the school of life that our lives are to be spent providing the following for the family of which we are a part – First, a place to live, a home. This is shelter from the elements and safety from natural predators. Second we are to provide food for ourselves and our family. In an agrarian society this meant either tending crops or herds of animals (I am skipping the “hunter gatherer” stage). In a modern family this means multiple members of the family may work outside the home to provide income for food and to maintain the domicile.
This is where things start to get blurry. What exactly are we working for? This question varies depending on where in the world we live but in all cases there is a point at which what we work for drives our effort beyond what we need into what we want, in short our greed. At some point each person must evaluate the balance of their effort and ask; “Am I doing this because I need (a bigger house, another car, the latest sound systems, a pool) or because I want?
In some this distinction becomes irrelevant since they do not understand that there is something more important than having the best or the most of everything. There are others who believe that society owes them the basics (shelter and food) and that they are not required to do anything but accept this charity, squandering their efforts or worse making none.
We, however, as Disciples of Christ must take a close look at the balance of our life’s efforts. We need to spend enough of our effort providing for ourselves and our families and the much of the rest developing that treasure for the heavenly kingdom. The difficult part of this equation is finding that balance. It is so easy to rationalize that working for something that falls into the greed category is really a need.
For us the tool to help us find the right balance is prayer. The Lord prayed constantly. Elsewhere in St. Luke’s we are told to pray persistently for guidance. That is where we need to be – as we pursue the use of the talents our Lord gave us. We receive with gratitude what is offered for the greater glory of God and use those resources in a balanced way. We remember that is for God’s glory we do what we do and it is his treasure we truly value.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is Faith by Giuseppe Angeli, 1754
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