Pastor's Letter 20240929 - 29 September 2024 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Father Michael]

September 29^th, 2024

Twenty-Sixth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Message from Father ^†Michael

Today’s Theme:  

“Open-Minded Respect And Love for All”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

(Numbers 11:25-29)  Seventy elders were selected to assist Moses in ruling the people of Israel.  They were endowed with the spirit of leadership and prophecy, which was given to Moses.  Joshua resented the fact that the gift of prophecy was given to others—but Moses, himself, welcomed it. God’s choice is not a matter of personal privilege, to be guarded jealously, but a call to serve the people. 

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(James 5:1-6)  ^†James gives a strong condemnation of wealth, especially when it is obtained through exploitation of the weak.  A long-term investment of self in fully-committed service, with no eye toward self-interest, is the only commodity which will bear eternal dividends.

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(Mark 9:38-48).  Our Gospel gives us a lesson in tolerance and in the avoidance of scandal and occasions of sin.  Jesus utters a grim warning against anyone who would hurt the “little ones,” who have faith in Him.  His reference to hell compares it to Gehenna—a ravine near Jerusalem—which was a dump where refuse was burned.  (Crass literalism has led to the later notion of hell as a place of fiery torment—a la Dante.). By the very fact of the incarnation, the mystery whereby divinity embraced all of humanity,  the Spirit of God’s loving and merciful goodness was unleashed upon all of the earth—not as a private option of one particular group, sex, nation or religious persuasion—for all peoples. 

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A Cup of Cold Water

Few of us are given the chance to do “great deeds.”  But the opportunity to do simple things for another may come several times each day.  Small acts of kindness can have significant meaning and comfort for someone else.  They simply must have a certain quality—“warmth”—which comes from the heart.  Jesus said that a “cup of cold water” was a sincere kindness, but it can be much more than that—It can lead others to our own “well,” and share it with them.  From another perspective, some people are threatened by the gifts or achievements of others.  With a more open attitude, they would find themselves enriched, rather than diminished by those gifts. God bestows His gifts freely.  Our responsibility is to welcome those gifts wherever they appear.  

This is not to say the great inequity between prosperity and poverty is not a concern.  An article in The Tablet (1996,) suggested that the wealth of the 400 richest persons on earth is the same as that of the wealth of nearly three-billion poor people—roughly 33% of the earth’s population.  Such an inequality is a great evil, and explains the uneasiness felt by contemporary people, both poor and rich.  It demands decisive solutions—the first step of which is to be conscious of it.

In itself, wealth is not condemned, unless it is gained from the oppression of others.  Whatever comfort and luxury it affords is transitory, and in the end, vanity (Wisdom.)  It cannot bring lasting happiness, so placing one’s hope in material riches is foolish; and in the great scheme of things eternal, it is “worthless.”   Our culture tells us quite an opposite story, and the manner in which we manage our abundance could be either a “stumbling block,” or a “stepping-stone” to others.  For example:

We become a stumbling block to others when we: are unkind or unjust in the way you treat people; fail to understand their weakness, mistakes and sins, and “write-them-off” as a result; condemn them and make them feel “evil;” humiliate others because they don’t live up to our expectations—hurting their pride and self-image; keep someone “down,” and hold them back; grab the “limelight,” forcing others to retreat into shadows of inferiority; exclude or ignore someone, making them feel like an outsider; pay employees poor wages, effectively turning them into “wage-slaves;” unjustly criticize another and sour them with unfair cynicism.  Any of these actions make us a stumbling block, hindering self-development and even reach salvation.

However, we become a stepping-stone when we: support people in moments of weakness and doubt; aid others to become self-confident, and help them find their hidden talents; offer challenging demands that are fair, helping them discover their potential; accept others when they are rejected; refuse to engage in “mob-mentality,” throwing the stone of accusation and judgement; strive to understand another’s perspective, and truly listen to them; when we employ people and pay them a just wage.  Such behaviors are a light to those in darkness; a signpost in moments of doubt; and make it easier for them to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

He also warned us to avoid the “occasions of sin”—whereby our actions may tempt others.  Living our lives in a manner that befits our faith, is not easy.  However, we must always be conscious of how our actions may affect those who observe us.  Jesus urges us to make the costliest sacrifice, even to the extent of “self-maiming.”  Not to be taken as crude literalism, His point is that serious sin is to avoided at any cost—and we should prepare ourselves for eternal life by impressing upon us that the kingdom of God is worth any sacrifice.  

Jesus also compared damnation to “Gehenna”—a place outside Jerusalem where refuse was constantly burning, and even human sacrifices were made.  Only later did Hell take on the character of eternal fire (Dante-Inferno; Milton-Paradise Lost.)

As always, Christ’s words give us much food for thought.  We would do well to heed them.

May God Richly Bless You!

Today's Meditation Music: 

With My Song.docx

View a recording of today's Holy Mass, here:  

 

Edited September 28 by Father Michael