Monday, July 2, 2018

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Matthew 8:18-22)

Economic equality has never been the goal of Christian social thought.  Rather from Scripture to modern papal thinking, Christians have opted for justice.  This means that a society looks out for all its members so that everyone’s basic needs are met.  In contemporary times this vision is being ignored.  The wealthy are separating themselves from the poor.  They are more likely to live in gated communities and to send their children to private schools.  They also are more often found in church than the poor.  One wonders, however, if they hear the message from Scripture read there.

In today’s first reading the prophet Amos expresses outrage at the rich person’s disregard for human dignity.   He says that the rich would sell a slave for a trifling.  He adds that they take the poor person’s few garments as collateral for loans.  Then they have the nerve to lie on those garments in the Temple.  In the gospel Jesus identifies himself with poor people when he says that the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.

In an age of globalization, creating a just society becomes increasingly complicated.  But this fact does not excuse us from the responsibility.  With so much technology available, there is no shortage of resources to supply everyone’s needs.  We need to rethink priorities.  Instead of always strategizing to become wealthier, we should make sufficiency for the poor a goal.  Action steps will include greater social correspondence among all social sectors.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Matthew 8:18-22)

Pope Francis has raised eyebrows around the world by speaking against the idolatry of money.  He finds the contemporary situation of a privileged few growing richer “exponentially” while leaving ever farther behind the poor as intolerable.  He sounds much like the prophet Amos in the first reading today.

Amos is preaching in the wealthy Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Although money abounds, so do the poor and injustice.  God gave the people the law to promote both prosperity and community.  But some ignore it in the pursuit of riches.  Their greed results in squalor amidst luxury and widespread scandal.

We must ask ourselves about our disposition toward wealth.  Is becoming rich our ambition?  Following Jesus, we will be moving in another direction.  The one “with nowhere to rest his head” will show us that the joy of his company outpaces the possession of gold.