Posted by Word Alive–Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD September 18, 2022 / 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time / C
In this 25th Sunday gospel, Jesus says, “No servant can serve two masters–God and mammon” (Lk 16,13). The Lord is not making a choice between God and money.
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It is because in practical life, money is important. A witty guy once said: “People say, ‘Money is the root of all evils,’ but they can plant it in my garden anytime.” We need money to live, to support our families, and to sustain our churches and mission apostolates. Also, money can be used to put up companies that will provide employments. Hence, money is not necessarily evil.
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However, with money you can do a lot of evil. You can bribe people, buy votes, hire goons to harass people, influence judges’ decisions, and so on.
The danger of being rich–and this is what Christ warns against–is the attachment to wealth and the selfish spirit that go with it.
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Remember Christ’s parable of rich man (Dives) and a beggar (Lazarus)? The rich man is “dressed in purple and fine linen”; he feasts sumptuously everyday, while Lazarus covered with sores begs, hoping to eat from the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table (read Lk 16,19-31).
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The parable continues with a sudden shift in scenes. Both the rich man and Lazarus have died. Their fortunes are completely reversed. Lazarus is now enjoying the higher position, while the rich man is suffering in Hell.
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The rich man was not punished because he was rich. He was condemned because of his callousness, his insensitivity to the needy as symbolized by Lazarus.
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I came across the story of an American Catholic, Charlie De Leo, who combines his work and money concerns with gospel values.
Charlie served in the Vietnam war and after returning home, he got a job as maintenance man of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Part of his job is to take care of the torch in the statue’s hand and the crown on the statue’s head. He has to make sure that the sodium vapor lights are always working.
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But apart from his work, Charlie does other things for the Lord. He received a commendation from the Red Cross after donating his 65th pint of blood.
And since hearing of the work of the late Mother Theresa in India, he had given over $12,000 to her and to people like her.
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In an interview, he told reporters, “I don’t socialize much. I don’t have enough money to get married. After I got my job, I sponsored six orphans through those children’s organizations.”
Charlie De Leo, by no means wealthy, is a living example of what Jesus is saying in the gospel. He works for a living, for money, but he shares it with those who have less in life.
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The Lord expects us to emulate the example of virtuous Christians, like Charlie De Leo.
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QUIPS TO PONDER. When an atheist or unbeliever of Christ dies, he’s all dressed up in his coffin but nowhere to go.
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In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. And in the third, both of them speak and the neighbors listen.
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