(Optional Memorial for Saint John of Capistrano, Priest)
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| “Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, 1754 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Romans 4:20-25
Commentary on Rom 4:20-25
St. Paul continues to develop his “salvation through faith” apologia. In this passage he again uses Abraham (clearly addressing a predominantly Jewish audience) whose faith in God caused him to behave in righteous ways. In fact, it was his unreserved faith that raised him to his beloved status. Faith in Jesus must be on the same level since his passion was suffered for our salvation. We note once more that the use of the word “justification” equates to one being “just as if they had not sinned.”
CCC: Rom 4:20 146; Rom 4:25 517, 519, 654, 977
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Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R. (see 68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
Commentary on Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
These strophes are the opening lines of the great Canticle of Zachariah sung to the newborn St. John the Baptist by his father at the occasion of his naming. 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. These introductory verses serve as a profession of faith in God and the Messiah of whom St. John will be the forerunner. Zachariah sings of the promise of salvation first promised to Abraham, now to be fulfilled in Jesus.
CCC: Lk 1:73 706
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Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
Commentary on 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.
The passage begins with Jesus refusing to provide rabbinical guidance to a person in the crowd. Such guidance is provided in Numbers 27:1-11 and Deuteronomy 21:15ff, but the Lord saw greed at the root of the request. He uses the parable (found only in Luke) of the Rich Landowner (Fool in some translations) to emphasize the need to focus on the spiritual gifts that do not perish, 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.
The parable has elements of other stories used by Jesus in which the unpredictability of the end of life is emphasized. Speaking to the crowd, the Lord tells them to focus on those spiritual attributes without delay. St. Athanasius used these words: “A person who lives as if he were to die every day- given that our life is uncertain by definition- will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures (Adversus Antigonum).”[4]
CCC: Lk 12:13-14 549
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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 “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 (we are 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 we live in the world, 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 no effort at all.
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 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 Gospel 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. And if in so doing, we gain more than we need, we are generous to the poor. We remember that it is for God’s glory we do what we do, and it is his treasure we truly value.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Faith” by Giuseppe Angeli, 1754
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.437.
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