Saints of God…
…the Lord be with you!
How do we think about greatness? Is it the size of our bank accounts or our homes? Is it how fit we are or how well we are dressed? Or how much weight we can press during a gym workout? (Every time I go to the gym (yes, I do work out only to look like this) I’m tempted to increase the weight on the machine after I’m done using it. But I don’t since I know that I won’t be fooling anyone.) But as Christians, we need to ask ourselves how does Christ view greatness? An answer to that question is how we show our love for God by caring for our neighbor, particularly those who are poor and in need.
In today’s first reading from the Prophet Amos (8:4-7) echoes themes from all the prophets who preceded him, and all those who will follow him: God will remember how we as individuals and as a nation treat the poor! The Responsorial Psalm (113) reminds us that “The Lord lifts up the poor” but through us and our charity. As saint Theresa of Avila puts it “Christ has no body on earth but (ours), No hands, no feet on earth but (ours)…(Ours) are the hands with which He blesses all the world.”
The Gospel today (Luke 16: 1-13) is the parable of the dishonest steward. His employer fires him for cheating, and he in return acts prudently by reducing his commission hoping that this will redound to him later since he is “not strong enough to dig and ashamed to beg.” In the end, Jesus warns his followers to be just as prudent and creative in doing good since we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. No law should limit us in the good we must do, and all generosity will never get anyone in trouble. But I am preaching to the choir Saints of God in Sacred Heart Parish. Let us continue to do the good! As someone once said, “Let us teach people to fish!” To which I add, “And let us feed them while they are being taught.”
– Fr. Steve
