Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - I Will Never Forget_092219

Deacon Tom Writes,

“I Will Never Forget”

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

We would be seriously mistaken to think that cheating the poor and stealing from the needy was a modern day phenomena. Sad to say that such behavior has been around for a long time. 750 years before Christ the Prophet Amos chastises those who tinkered with their scales in order to overcharge the poor and needy for their wheat and grain. The Lord has a few caustic words for them, “Never will I forget a thing they have done”!

Have you ever heard the expression, “keeping your thumb on the scale”? In whose favor does that work? In addition, those who engage in such a devious practice, as Amos writes, can’t wait for the Sabbath and the Festival of the New Moon to be over with so that they can take advantage of the poor of the land. Such behavior has gotten the Lord’s attention, says Amos, and the Lord, “will never forget a thing they have done”!

In the gospel, Jesus tells the story of a manager who has quite the way with numbers. Apparently, he was an unscrupulous steward whose deception was detected by his employer. What the steward lacked in integrity, however, he made up for with his imagination. Before he is fired, he cancels part of the debt that others owed his master. This way those whose debts he had forgiven would take care of him after he was discharged. What a fraud…. and cleverly done. That’s why Jesus points him out. As deceitful as this act was, Jesus recognizes that the dishonest steward was very successful in taking very good care of himself.    

Now, Jesus is not advocating deceitful means in our dealings with the world. Rather, he is suggesting that his disciples be as ingenious and imaginative in ways of building up the Kingdom of God as those who seek to acquire an inordinate share of the things of this world. If just a small token of our efforts were directed toward advancing the Kingdom of God in all our daily encounters at home, where we work or go to school, where we shop or play, a more just and peaceful world would unfold before our very eyes.

Today’s readings prompt us to reflect on how much imagination and energy we put into bringing about God’s Kingdom as we go about our daily affairs. Do we see the poor being abused and cheated in any way today and point it out, refuse to participate, seek to put an end to unfair and unjust practices that oppress them? This is an important question for disciples of Jesus to ask themselves today. Why?

You see, those words of the Prophet Amos also apply to those who help shoulder the burdens of the poor today... the Lord says,  “Never will I forget a thing they have done”.

Enjoy the day,

Deacon Tom

Stealing From The Poor

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Stealing from the Poor”

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Pope Francis made the statement recently that “…wasting food is like stealing from the poor.”  In addressing the plight of the poor in this way, the pope follows in the footsteps of the Prophets and Jesus who had great compassion and affection for the poor. The Prophet Amos cries out about the unjust ways that the merchants were cheating the poor by fixing the scales to overcharge them for their daily portions of wheat and grain. But no one listened!

Jesus has a soft spot for the poor. He’s just like his Father in this regard! When he tells the story of the dishonest servant in the gospel, he recognizes how cleaver that servant was in providing for his needs after his master discharges him. Jesus laments the fact that the worldly are more prudent in providing for their physical needs than the “Children of the Light” are in satisfying their spiritual needs.

The lesson Jesus teaches us today and Pope Francis reaffirms is that we must be trustworthy with what we have been given, whether it is with our time, talent, treasures or our daily bread. As Disciples of Christ, we are not to squander or waste any of the gifts that God has given us. We are to use what we have wisely and prudently share with those in need. We need to make an honest effort to be faithful servants and always be mindful that we can trust God to take care of us and provide for our needs.

God’s love for the poor is reflected throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus came to serve the lowly and bring the Good News to the poor, the“anawim” whose only possession was their hope in Yahweh. Our Lord calls us to follow his lead and do the same. One way we can be better servants is to appreciate all the food we have each day and to manage it so that little or none goes to waste. Then, too, we might send a couple of dollars to Catholic Relief Service as they try to keep up with the desperate needs of the refugees in Syria, the Middle East, and around the world as a sign of our gratitude for our daily bread.

These readings today call us to reflect on how much imagination we put into bringing about the God’s Kingdom. Do we see the poor being abused and cheated in any way today and point it out, refuse to participate in evil, seek to put an end to unfair and unjust practices? 

You see, the words of the Prophet Amos apply to those who seek to do justice too:  the Lord, “will never forget a thing they have done.”

On this Catechetical Sunday, a special “Thank You” to all the teachers in our Religious Education Program for all that you do to teach God’s Word to our children. May God shower you with his grace and peace.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom