Thursday of the Twenty-fifth
Week in Ordinary Time
(Haggai 1:1-8; Luke 9:7-9)
Fifteen years ago the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was
building its new cathedral with a price tag of $300 million. A group of lay
Catholics who worked with the very poor were especially scandalized by the
amount and actively protested the construction.
With prophetic boldness they claimed there was a needless
extravagance. Confident that the Archdiocese
was caring sufficiently for the poor, Cardinal Mahoney proceeded with the
project.
We hear of a similar tug-a-war between spending on social
needs and constructing a monument to God in the reading from the prophet Haggai
today. In this case, the prophet takes
the side of construction. He speaks out
what he hears God telling him: that concentrating on human needs has brought
little social benefit; now is the time to give God His due and to trust in God’s
providence.
Interesting, economists have verified the strategy of spending
money on social projects like a Temple in times of recession. It provides jobs for people which stimulate
consumer spending and the creation of wealth.
Building a temple or a church will also remind us to keep our priorities
in order. First we worship God and then
take care of other needs. He will see
that we are not left wanting.
