November 7
You Cannot Serve
God and Mammon
Today’s Gospel: Luke
16:9-15
(You Cannot Serve God &
Mammon)
“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by
means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into
the eternal habitations. "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful
also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in
much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which
is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two
masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon." The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they
scoffed at him. But he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an
abomination in the sight of God."
Reflection:
True generosity does not make us poor; it makes us
rich, and I suppose the title of today’s reflection could just as easily have
been “God or Money,” although I’m not really asking you to choose, because I
hope and pray the choice is obvious. Think about how the blessing flows in both
directions, since the rich who are able to help the poor do so by giving
generously of what they have, whether it’s food, drink, or a place to sleep,
while the poor, simply by being poor, give the rich a chance to practice humility
and charity by sharing what they have been given. It’s a gift for everyone
involved, and I hope that makes sense.
The fourth-century bishop Ambrose put it beautifully when he said that the
bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, and the mouths of children are the
barns that last forever, and that God richly rewards those who give from the
heart to help those in need. That is worth thinking about seriously, because
the only treasure that lasts is the treasure stored up for us in heaven.
So, who is your master, and who is really governing your life? Let me just ask
it plainly: is it God or money? Whatever controls our ideas, our desires, our
hearts, and our choices will take the driver’s seat and make many if not most
of the decisions in our lives, so when you choose, choose wisely. Everything we
have, and everything we don’t have, is a gift from God, and that includes not
being wealthy. Poverty, whether it’s a lack of money or simply a lack of
things, can sharpen our faith in ways that comfort never could, because when we
have nothing else to lean on, we learn to lean on God. Most of us will never
have a perfect retirement plan, but every one of us can have a JMJ-EHP, and it
is priceless. If you aren’t a financial person, that stands for the Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Eternity in Heaven Package, and it’s available to everyone because Jesus bought one for each of us and paid in full. All
we have to do is love Him, believe in Him, and follow Him, and we can have one
too. Beneath the Standard of Mary, we learn that a heart with nothing to hold
onto but God is never poor, because Mary had no earthly riches to offer and yet
gave the world its greatest treasure, and she invites us to trust that He will
richly provide for everyone who gives from the heart.
Who or what is sitting in the driver’s seat of your life right now, God
or money? What is one thing you have been blessed with in abundance that you
could share with someone in need this week? And if you were to look at your
life honestly, are you storing up treasure that lasts for eternity or only
treasure that fades away here on earth?
Rosary Man
Jim 🌹
Freely
given. Freely shared.
