Month: September 2019

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The Sin of Pride

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The Sin of Pride

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Amos 6:1A, 4-7
Responsorial: Psalm 146:7-10
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

In today’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Very often we look at this parable only from the perspective of renouncing greed and treating the poor with justice. Indeed, in our first reading from Amos, we hear a curse against the wealthy who are complacent and stuff themselves while starving spiritually (Amos 6:19-26). Just to be clear, this is not a parable against wealth. St. Thomas Aquinas says that we have the right to ownership, through our hard work or through inheritance. But he goes on to say that we must always be concerned for the common good before our ourselves. So, while this is an important dimension of the today’s readings, there’s something more going on here.

Before we get to that, let’s review. This parable and the parables we’ve heard over the past weeks have been taking place on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Some of the lessons were put to the disciples; others to the crowds following Jesus; and still others for Pharisees and other religious leaders. Now between last week’s readings and this week is bridge, Luke 16:14-18. Unfortunately, we don’t hear that proclaimed. The Gospel says, “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, ‘You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.’”

Then, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. This image would not have been unknown to the crowd. Lazarus who was lying at the rich man’s door because he was lamed or crippled and covered in sores is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 28:35. The dogs that licked Lazarus’ wounds, which added insult to injury, is similar to we find in 1 Kings 21:19 and 23; and Psalm 22:17.

When death comes, there is a reversal in situations. Lazarus was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man was sent to the netherworld which is interpreted as Hades or Sheol. Now this is a complete rejection of the prosperity Gospel. There are some who falsely preach that wealth and success are signs of God’s blessings. This suggests that poverty is a sign of God’s disfavor. Yet, in today’s Gospel it is the poor man who is rewarded in the afterlife and not the rich man.

The rich man calls out to “Father Abraham,” but remember that John the Baptist has already warned that it was not sufficient to say, “We have Abraham as our father,” (Luke 3:8), since you also had to “produce good fruits as evidence of … repentance.” So, having missed the opportunity to repent, the rich man is being tormented.

He begs that he be allowed to warn his five brothers, but Abraham says that they have Moses and the prophets, if they would just listen. Jesus, for example, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of listening to the Word of God, for example Luke 8:21; and Luke 11:28.

He makes one last plea asking that Lazarus be raised from the dead and sent to warn his brothers in person. Abraham again denies his request. If they aren’t convinced by Moses or the prophets, then they won’t be convinced by someone coming back from the dead.

Of course, the idea is that if the Pharisees who know and understand the Law, who understand the tradition from Abraham to their time, who don’t live the spirt of the Law, who don’t understand that they need repentance, then clearly, they will be blind to the Messiah in their midst – even at his resurrection. Why is that? This is the point I alluded to earlier. The Pharisees are blinded by their pride which gives them an inflated sense of their worth even over and against their claims of faith in God!

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, “Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Today’s parable about the rich man and Lazarus is meant to reach out the Pharisees then and today – those who are so consumed by their position in life – like their status and their wealth – that they can’t recognize God in their presence. Where do we find God today? Jesus tells us whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me. Pride blinds us to God’s spark in everyone – what we refer to as human dignity rooted in being created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus challenges us to snap out of it! And that leads us to our homework today.

Homework! After being nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to consider one thing this week:

  1. Reflecting on today’s Gospel, if you were the rich person who ended up below, and God gave you the chance to write a letter to your family and friends so they wouldn’t end up like you, what would you write? What would you tell them? Maybe it would be helpful to actually write out a letter.

I think by doing our homework this week, we might recognize the sin of pride which often goes unrecognized in our own lives – recognize it, go to confession, and deal with it. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Notes:
<1> The Gospel of Luke by Pablo T. Gadenz, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Baker Academic (2018).
<2> C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

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Extravagant Mercy

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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Amos 8:4-7
Responsorial: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-8
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-8
Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

You can’t serve both God and mammon!

My brothers and sisters, in today’s readings we hear a little bit of a confusing story about the dishonest steward. It’s a little confusing because at the end of the Gospel, it sounds like Jesus is commending the steward’s craftiness. Can that really be the case? First, let’s set the scene.

Mammon isn’t just money. It refers to worldly wealth and perhaps even a worldly attitude that goes along with everything this world promises us. With that understanding, let’s jump into to the readings.

In the Gospel the steward, who is basically the manager responsible for his employer’s property and staff has been careless with his employer’s property. The employer learns that the steward has been careless. He is accused of squandering property. His employer tells him that he is going to be let go, but first he must make an accounting of everything he has done.

The steward is a little panicked. He has no idea what he is going to do once he is unemployed. So, he conceives a plan. He figures that if he generous with his employer’s debtors, they will help him once he is unemployed. He summons the debtors and reviews their debts, then has them write promissory notes for less that the amount. Whether he pays part of the debts is not known, but he eases their debt-burdens.

Now when his employer learns what he has done, he praises the steward for his prudence. It almost sounds like Jesus is praising the steward for his shrewdness. How can this be?

Well, here’s the second point. Before Jesus tells this parable, he had just finished telling the crowd the parable of the lost son. This isn’t a second day. This is a continuation of the readings from last week. Now Jesus is offering this parable. What did we learn from last week’s readings? Jesus tells us about the enormous generosity of the Father’s mercy. But at the same time he warns us that he has not come to save the righteous – those who think themselves better than everyone else.

In contrast, Jesus tells us about this prudent steward – a limited, self-motivated example of mercy. In other words, seeing these two parables side by side, this parable is about mercy with strings attached. I’ll forgive you if you agree to do the dishes for a month; or I’ll forgive you if you agree to clean out the gutters for me. This is what the world tells us we should do, right? We should adopt an attitude the espouses, “what’s in it for me?” This is the approach to life that world tells us will lead to happiness, wealth and success.

But is this a sustainable way of living our lives? After a while, managing all those strings becomes exhausting. We can’t serve both our own self-interest and be in right relation with those around us. You cannot serve both God and mammon. In this situation, you only love the one and come to become frustrated with the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.

No, when we extend forgiveness, we should extend it like God. We should offer forgiveness totally and with no strings attached. Why? Well, first, because that is how we wish to be treated by other people. Second, that’s how we wish to be treated by God. We forgive extravagantly so that when we face our judgment, we can say we extended great mercy, and we hope to receive such extravagant mercy too. So, while we can live in this world, we should try not to be of this world – totally focused on ourselves and showing no compassion or mercy toward those around us or holding people in check with strings tied to our mercy and love and forgiveness.

Homework! After being nourished at the table of God’s Word and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following questions this week.

  1. First, have you ever felt unworthy of God’s mercy?
  2. Second, reflecting on your relationships, can you forgive especially when the other person doesn’t deserve mercy?

I think our homework today will help us live the mercy and love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

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Pharisees and Scribes

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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial: Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel: Luke 15:1-32

In today’s Gospel we find three familiar stories: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. We could spend quite a bit of time breaking open the meaning of each of these parables – the relentless pursuit by the Shepherd, the woman and the Father running through the field to the son who returned home.

All of these parables give us insight into the immense love of the Father for each of us. The Father loves you and he loves me so much that he will chase us forever, but here’s the catch – we have to choose to say yes. You see, the Father will never force himself on anyone.

As beautiful as these parables are and as much as we all need to reminded that there is nothing, nothing we can do that will make us unlovable by the Father, I want to focus instead on the introduction to these parables.

Here is how Luke begins the parables. “The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, but the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,’” (Luke 15:1-2). The Pharisees and scribes were complaining.

While everyone could here the parables, Jesus directed these parables to the Pharisees and scribes. Why?

In the second reading from First Timothy, we hear, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” (1 Timothy 1:15). Now, we should all say to ourselves, “yes, that makes sense, because we are all sinners,” but my brothers and sisters, I suggest to you there are some who do not see themselves that way. We call these people self-righteous. Who are these people?

Again, from First Timothy we hear, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief,” (1 Timothy 1:13). Paul describes himself as one of these self-righteous people – one of these Pharisees and scribes who have this unfounded belief that they are morally superior to everyone.

Paul reminds us that Jesus came into the world for sinners. But like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, there are many people who think, “I’m a good person.” Like the older brother who worked hard in his father’s fields from morning to night – who played by the rules and didn’t even ask for food to share with his friends, there are many people who believe that being a good person is good enough. And maybe we scoff at the idea that someone who is reckless, like the lost son deserved compassion.

You see, the tax collectors were particularly hated by most Jews. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans – they worked for the occupiers. And the way they were compensated was that they were allowed to add a surcharge to the taxes they collected for Rome. So, not only were they collecting taxes, but they squeezed people harder so that they could get their share. How could these people and other sinners – other people who didn’t live by the rules – deserve forgiveness? Sound familiar?

Why are you giving money to that homeless guy? It’s his own fault that he’s on the street or he’s just going to use the money for drugs or booze.

I work hard for my money. Why should my taxes go to welfare? They just keep having more and more kids.

Why should my taxes pay for that druggie in the hospital? It’s not my fault he’s strung out.

“I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance,” (Luke 15:7).

Homework! After receiving the Jesus through the Word of God proclaimed and in the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.

  1. First, in my heart of hearts, can I relate to the Pharisees and the scribes?
  2. Second, what is or are the sources of my righteousness?

I think by doing our homework, we can prepare our sinful hearts for repentance. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!