25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

A HEALTHY REMINDER

The gospel reminds us: You cannot serve both God and money (Lk. 16:13).

But people need money.  I need it for my supplies, medicines and personal needs.  You need it for your household, your rent, your school tuition and your daily provisions.  Our church needs money for maintenance, repairs, programs, and outreach to the youth and to the poor.

In his goodness, God supplies us with financial and material things so we can survive the demands of our fast-paced life. But though we need these things, Jesus cautions us against falling in love with them.  There are things in life that rank more important than just the material like persons, values, principles, and faith.

Oftentimes, we forget these higher components of life, settling for the satisfaction of our baser instincts and drives.  When this happens, our wants take priority.  We become selfish and self-absorbed. And we begin to desire more. Notice how those with abundance still dream of even more abundance.  Greed takes over.  Just look at the dizzying figures that our government officials, from the national to the village, steal from the treasury of the nation for their own benefit.  The first reading, which speaks of the stealth and theft of the leaders of Israel, resurrects in the corruption of our day (Amos 8:4-7).

People indeed need money but our lives must not revolve around its tempting power and its ephemeral allure. We need to beware of money’s hold on us.

More than anything else, people need the Lord! A beautiful charismatic song explains this sentence to us. If we need the gifts, then much more do we need the Giver. As we feel the blessings, our hearts must be drawn to the one who bestows them on us. From the Lord come our fruitful relationships, our material bounty, and happiness in this world. The kindness of the Lord overflows in our lives.

As we need the Lord for what he can give and do for us, we need him more for his great love.  The love of God is a constant offer to us.  It is an offer of a relationship that far surpasses all our human interactions, however fruitful they may be.  The love we know today is weak and incomplete. But the love of the Lord strengthens us and satisfies the deepest longings of our lives. Even in the midst of trials, the love of the Lord encourages and saves us.

As Christians, more than ever, we need to give witness to the fact that in our lives we reserve for God the first place.  People today need the witness of men and women who are confident not because of possessions but because of a lasting and spiritual relationship. People need evidence of men and women who are so secure that they share what they have with the needy. The world needs testimonies of lives that are satisfied and joyful because God is its center.

Thank you, Lord for this healthy reminder.  May we be always convinced of the strength and truth of your teaching.  Amen.