Pastor's Letter 20220918 - 18 September 2022- To Each His Own

[Father Michael]

September 18^th, 2022

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Message from Father ^†Michael

Today’s Theme:  “To Each His Own”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

When justice and charity are relinquished to profits and progress, then the business of making money has become a god, and true religion is lost.  

Our First Reading is taken from the book of Amos (8:4-7,) a prophet, and champion of justice, from Tekoa (about six miles north of Bethlehem.)  He savagely criticized the oppression of the poor, as well as the judicial system, which denied them any hope of obtaining justice.  He depicts the greed of the wealthy, who can’t wait for holy days to be over, so they can get back to making money by dishonest practices.  He condemns the separation of worship from the proper treatment of other people, especially the poor. Writing in the eighth century B.C., he contrasted the dichotomy between the rich and the poor, and cited merchants for dishonest practices perpetrated on the poor farmers, vis-à-vis weights of produce—particularly wheat—and who even regarded the Sabbath rest as an “impedance to their profits.”

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Christians are not called to an isolated existence, untouched by secular affairs, but to an involvement with the world; by their very presence, the lives of others are improved.  

In our Second Reading, ^†Timothy, the faithful steward of God’s people in Ephesus, was reminded that one aspect of responsible discipleship was that of prayer for all in authority, even and especially those, who were the stewards of civil and secular power (1 Timothy 2:1-8.)  

Written at a time (ca. 47 A.D.,) when Christians suffered from Roman scrutiny (because they  not worshiping Caesar as a god,) contains advice to pray for all people, and was probably aimed at easing the tension between the believers and the empire.  Rome was not merely to be “tolerated as a hostile environment;” rather, even Rome was to enjoy the benefits of Jesus’ mediation and ransom.

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When prudence and ingenuity of the entrepreneur are incorporated by the disciple, then religion, and all of society benefits.

Often described as a controversial and difficult parable, ^†Luke’s story (Luke 16:1-13,) of the rich man and his clever manager is more easily understood against the background of ancient Palestinian economics and usury laws.  We learn that the manager’s action of exacting “interest” on the wheat and oil (his own commission,) was permitted, and then reducing that interest, on his own authority, was an accepted legal procedure that did not disadvantage the rich man that he served.  The “God and mammon” reference meant that in which one puts one’s trust, and therefore, true disciples are to faithfully serve and trust in God alone, while making “good use of money” for the sake of others—which is why capitalism, in its fundamental form, is considered honorable—thereby providing opportunities for honest employment.  The purest ideal of the wise management of wealth was reflected in the communal lifestyle of the early Christian community.

The Making of Character

The servant in today’s Gospel story was unreliable, and dishonest.  It’s obvious he had been so for quite some time.  In so doing, he evaded public judgment and even self-examination.  When eventually confronted by his master for his misconduct, it was surely a very humbling and painful moment.  Not only his job, but his reputation was in jeopardy.  This opportunity was also a moment of truth and revelation, and a turning point in his life.  

Dishonesty can become a way of life, but so can honesty...it too can become habitual, spontaneous and second nature.  However, it has to be “learned” by long practice—not achieved by a few “great deeds,” but by many “little ones.”  The true reward for good deeds is that it makes the next one easier.  Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character.  

Dostoevsky said: “The second half of a person’s life is usually made up of the habits acquired during the first half.”  That can be a rather frightening thought!  There comes a moment in our lives when the precious clay from which we are made hardens and sets, so that, from that point on, we can assume no new “shape.”  A dishonest person will typically remain dishonest…to the end!  A greedy person will remain greedy….

We should take this lesson, then, from our Gospel story:  Passions and habits, in the beginning, before they have taken root, are relatively easy to eradicate.  But if we allow then to become established, it becomes virtually impossible to be rid of them.  

Greed

In the film, “Wall Street,” the protagonist, Gordon Gecko, tells an assembly of shareholders: “Greed is good!”  His point was focused upon perpetrating activities solely aimed on making profits, with little regard for anything else.  It has been shown that greed for money has been the downfall of many persons, however, throughout history.  Hardly a day goes by without a news story about some public official, or top executive, who has been accused of corruption.  

When exposed, people often pay for their wrong-doing in currencies far more precious than money—loss of self-respect, dignity and hope.  Of course, there is always the chance of “cashing in” by selling one’s story to the tabloids!  But even so, there is a price to be paid—whatever dignity a person has before, it will be less afterwards.  

Given the importance money has in the world, it can easily become our “god.”  We may put it before honesty, justice and even family life.  People can become “brainwashed” into believing that “greed is good….”  People can become so deluded that they have no perspective on anything else of importance.  

Among many “progressives,” capitalism has become anathema (even when they live in a free society, and have prospered in a capitalistic system, and have enjoyed liberty for expression of their negativity.)  We hear numerous complaints that such a system can be only seen as a gateway to social ruin.  Often cited by detractors are the many abuses claimed against the “common people,” similar to those of Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels.  In the “Communist Manifesto,” they postulated that only through worker revolution could they obtain the true worth of their labors.  They contended exploitation and oppression by “overlords,” who own the means of production, cause the vast majority of the population who produce goods and services to become enslaved, without hope of individual success.  

Without dismissing the many deficiencies that have arisen over the years, the “great experiment” of the United States of America has demonstrated, compared to any time in world history, that no other form of socio-economic system has ever afforded people as many opportunities for prosperity.  By-and-large, the countless prospects for personal achievement enjoyed in our nation, and the many social benefits they provide, far outweigh the disadvantages faced by people throughout the world.  

The prudent use of profit, which enables development of countless prospects for individual attainment of comfort and hope for the future, is at the heart of the message in our Scripture Readings today.  

Simple assessment of the continual striving of expectant immigrants to become part of our culture attests to the positive global opinion of our society.  As Christians, we must constantly strive to ensure the personal dignity and freedom of everyone with whom we interact.  This is the message of “salvation for all” that Jesus preached, and whose tenets we profess.  

May God Richly Bless You!

To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here:

Blessed Be The Lord.docx