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| “St. Lawrence Giving the Wealth to the Poor” by Palma Giovane, 1581-82 |
Commentary:
Reading 1 James 5:1-6
Commentary on Jas 5:1-6
The author reminds his audience of the importance of building up spiritual riches, rather than secular wealth. This passage could be a commentary on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (see Luke 16:19-31). The transitory nature of wealth is decried (“…Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded”), and God’s coming justice for the poor is predicted (“…the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts”).
CCC: Jas 5:1-6 2445; Jas 5:4 1867, 2409, 2434
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 49:14-15ab, 15cd-16, 17-18, 19-20
R. (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Commentary on Ps 49:14-15ab, 15cd-16, 17-18, 19-20
Psalm 49 (a “Wisdom Psalm”) echoes, in these strophes, the hellish fate of the unjust rich. Like Ecclesiastes (see Ecclesiastes 1;2ff) and the letter of St. James (James 5:1-6), the psalmist explains that the wealth of this earth cannot be taken into the next.
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Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Commentary on Mk 9:41-50
In this passage, Jesus finishes his warning to the disciples against jealousy and intolerance toward others. Having said that, he warns that those who call people to faith in him, even if they do not walk with the disciples, are friends. He speaks of those who would lead the people away from him, again using the “Little Child” as a symbol of the weak in spirit and the poor. Those that mislead, or who are tempted to do so, should resist such temptation at any price, or they will find an eternal punishment waiting for them, using a paraphrase from Isaiah 66:24.
The final verse speaks of salt, using the analogy of purifying and preserving food. The word of Christ will have the same effect, that is purifying and preserving the believer.
CCC: Mk 9:43-48 1034
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Homily:
There are those who would say that Holy Scripture, properly used, should always be “uplifting.” Today instead we get a reality check. When we hear that God will deal harshly with the unjust rich, those who covet their wealth and ignore the plight of those less fortunate, we are forced to examine our own circumstances. We, who live in the richest nation on earth, must constantly be vigilant not to allow wealth to become the motive for what we do. As scripture points out, there are unpleasant consequences.
It is easy to fall into that trap of serving wealth instead of God. Our society praises those who are able to gain great wealth. Likewise, society tends to turn a blind eye on those who abuse wealth and the power that comes with it. Our children are exposed to these misguided values (“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea”), and it is sometimes tempting to rationalize that, by focusing on the accumulation of wealth, we can do more good with the money we hoard.
Look at the transcripts from a recent exchange between corporate executives of the oil companies and the Senate Energy Committee (when gas prices were very high in the US). They were asked how they could continue to justify huge profits while the people are suffering because of high gas prices. Their response was that they are forcing the country to become better at conserving those energy resources. Even a firm believer in the free enterprise system would agree that sometimes things get out of hand.
The Gospel mandate is clear. While we are called to use the gifts God gives us to provide for ourselves and our families, we must constantly be on guard against allowing our search for prosperity to override the need to express God’s love to those with less. Our prayer today is a simple one: God help the prosperity of the work of our hands for your greater glory, and may what we do help those less fortunate, that they too might know their loving Father and His Son, Jesus.
Pax
[2] The picture used today is “St. Lawrence Giving the Wealth to the Poor” by Palma Giovane, 1581-82
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