We are a church who remembers. The season of Advent is a worthy reminder of what God did for his people in Jesus Christ. Last week we heard about how suddenly the Lord will come. This week, we look at a different aspect of the Advent mystery. Yes, it seems that God has given us yet another week. It’s beginning to look more and more like we will have another blessed Christmas. In the time then that is given to us, the Holy Spirit calls us consider God’s promises.
Christmas has become a time of celebration. I get just as excited about the festivities of the season as anyone else, especially caroling. What concerns me is that Christmas has got us making promises, many that we cannot keep. We cannot keep up with all that we promise to make Christmas to be. Everyone knows that the feast is occasioned by the nativity of Jesus, but that doesn’t stop everybody from Hollywood on down from searching for the reason of the season. This Christmas has to be bigger than the last we think. Or are we trying to make it bigger than the first.
Advent gives us time to remember God’s promise. The reading of the prophet Baruch today is uplifting. Take off your robe of mourning and misery. Put on the splendor of glory from God forever. If you only internalize one verse of scripture, make this one it. Sew this in the lining of your heart. So much of life is what we wear isn’t it? Choosing the right clothes for the right occasion is important. As life changes, wouldn’t it be great if we could change from sorrow into joy so readily and radiantly?
Many people in this season take the opportunity to remember what it means to belong again. People hope to belong to family and to church. We all have doubts about this transformation from sorrow to new joy. The season gives everyone pause to examine life from the inside. Is there so much water under the bridge at this time? Do I still belong? Doubt can happen in a moment. Change takes place through the whole of life. Here the Lord says that he remembers everyone. He has them all well in mind. God is prepared to move heaven and Earth in order bring each soul back and lead us on together to the glory of Christ Jesus. As quick as doubt may attack, God love surges forth all the quicker.
This is your homework for this week. Let someone know that God is thinking of them right now. God has a special gift for that person. Remind them. Believe in them as God himself does, and you will become like God. Remember how God moved heaven and Earth at his first coming. He will do it again at his second. But let this time today be the time to remember what he promises.
To live from a promise is to live with intense courage. Paul is confident and so am I. The one who has begun the good work in you will bring it to fulfillment. Let us not surrender to the darkness of these days, but thrive on the hope of Jesus. Jesus fills our soul with light and truth. He comes to shine the light into the place that are unknown or incomplete in our lives. When the light comes at Christmas, we will receive the gift of Christ anew. We anticipate it now through our waiting and the lighting of advent lamps and candles.
John the Baptist is like a candle anticipating the bright light of salvation. Yet it will have to be enough. We have no fullness of sight in this light when it comes to God’s glory. What lights we do have will have to be enough. As we separate from the clothes of sadness and misery, can we trust that we will be clothed in a more beautiful way? Shine brightly through the darkness O Christ, we long for Thee. You have promised us much. As we hold to your promise, let us recall the glory of your children. We belong to you. Let us remember again what it is to belong to your house. Mary is great comfort in these days. She believed in the greatness of her Son even without knowing his earthly power. In order to prepare for him as mother, she prepared for God as a believer. She believed this, God is always faithful.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tired of "Apparitions"
Massachusetts Woman Sees Image of Jesus on Her Iron - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com
Posted using ShareThis
Regarding an iron with burn marks in them, purported to look like Jesus' face, I urge you to click on the above story.
Okay, got it now? My first impression of this story is that this woman doesn't really believe deep down that Jesus appears to her. She plans to put the iron back in the closet and buy a new one. If this were really a divinely appointed sign, the right thing to do would be to get back to church. Go to the priest and not the reporter.
I can say that I've seen a lot of different things that looked like other things. I know the whole range of emotions that comes. There is a surprise and shock certainly whenever I see something that I didn't expect. It's exciting for a moment to think that I am special.
What bothers me about these household apparitions is that they are all counterfeit. The media mocks Our Lord and Our Lady with impunity. I once saw a John Stewart program where they brought out all of the recent events like the Jesus grilled cheese sandwich. They wouldn't dare mock the apparitions at Lourdes or Fatima, because they fear the authenticity. The mass appeal for conversion would convict the hearts of scoffers and non-believers. The destiny of vague smudges is to reaffirm to doubters that we are simply stuck in this present world with no possible escape, even for Christians.
What these every day apparitions mean for me is that there is a desire for our own dreams to come true. "He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!" Luke 21:8. If there is a sign, so what? Move on. What does the image mean? What is it saying to you that you didn't know before? Do Christians really have such weak faith? Whatever part God may have in these events, I wish to hear nothing more about them. The fruits of these so-called apparitions ironically have the rational secular world poking fun at confused Christians with idols in their hands.
If Christ's incarnation was a stumbling block, his image on the bottom of an iron will be a laughing stock.
Posted using ShareThis
Regarding an iron with burn marks in them, purported to look like Jesus' face, I urge you to click on the above story.
Okay, got it now? My first impression of this story is that this woman doesn't really believe deep down that Jesus appears to her. She plans to put the iron back in the closet and buy a new one. If this were really a divinely appointed sign, the right thing to do would be to get back to church. Go to the priest and not the reporter.
I can say that I've seen a lot of different things that looked like other things. I know the whole range of emotions that comes. There is a surprise and shock certainly whenever I see something that I didn't expect. It's exciting for a moment to think that I am special.
What bothers me about these household apparitions is that they are all counterfeit. The media mocks Our Lord and Our Lady with impunity. I once saw a John Stewart program where they brought out all of the recent events like the Jesus grilled cheese sandwich. They wouldn't dare mock the apparitions at Lourdes or Fatima, because they fear the authenticity. The mass appeal for conversion would convict the hearts of scoffers and non-believers. The destiny of vague smudges is to reaffirm to doubters that we are simply stuck in this present world with no possible escape, even for Christians.
What these every day apparitions mean for me is that there is a desire for our own dreams to come true. "He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!" Luke 21:8. If there is a sign, so what? Move on. What does the image mean? What is it saying to you that you didn't know before? Do Christians really have such weak faith? Whatever part God may have in these events, I wish to hear nothing more about them. The fruits of these so-called apparitions ironically have the rational secular world poking fun at confused Christians with idols in their hands.
If Christ's incarnation was a stumbling block, his image on the bottom of an iron will be a laughing stock.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
All Saints
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God.”
Christ sees us as his brethren and with him sons of the Father. We are witnesses with Jesus. That is what we are. Such vision comes from the Father. Christ desires that all would be saved and come to know the glory of God. Many feel that true holiness is out of reach. God the Father knows differently and helps us to witness to his goodness in freedom. The role of the priest is not only to bring the Eucharist, but to cheerlead for God amongst his children, uniting them all as saints.
The feast of All Saints originates in the rededication of the Pantheon in Rome. Once a Temple to all of the gods, Boniface IV rededicated the circular structure as a church in honor of Mary, Queen of All Martyrs in 610. Why did the Romans build the pantheon in the first place? As their power grew, I suppose that they had to hedge their bets. Playing it safe meant trying to appease whatever spiritual forces may try to govern our world. Even in the height of grandeur which facilitated the Pantheon, man was still a slave to fears as numerous as the sky.
What held the imagination of men and women captive in the pagan world, was to be laid hold of by Christian souls. The victory hymn of the martyr reveals the hidden mysteries of the vault of heaven. Who are all of these people (sweeping hands across the assembly) wearing white robes, where did they come from? These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Christ for awhile was made lower than the angels. He gave shared his divine life with us. The new pantheon became the sign of all who have overcome the oppressive powers of this world.
Christ our High Priest has chosen us and called us by name. In him we are created anew. Each one has been set aside for life from the dawn of existence. Jesus can say with all authority, Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the clean of heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Christ knows and calls us each in turn. The work of salvation is from our God. Salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb who was slain.
No longer do we shuffle about to curry petty favor from fickle gods. Salvation belongs to our God. Furthermore, we have a savior, the lamb of God who knows what it means to be poor, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger for righteousness. Indeed our Jesus shows us mercy, purity, and peace. Christ like us in all things but sin. We praise this one Lord who alone frees us from death and raises us to life beyond the splendor of the stars.
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, the violent are taking by force. Christ prepares us for the battle we must each face against evil. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Our identity as Christians is under attack from the devil from the day of our baptism. Moreover, Christ says only the violent shall enter it. The envy of the devil toward the Christ’s brethren deserves a violent response. We do not submit to any servile fear as the pagan Romans did, cowering under the hands of evil spirits. Instead, we witness to the power of Jesus Christ. Our wager is to aim for the heights of heaven.
Some still try to live with servile fear not only of the devil but certainly of God himself. There can never be any compromise with evil. From the moment we serve disorder, we are bound to reap its rewards. Too often, folks feel that true holiness is out of reach. On looking at the sins we have already committed, we easily lose hope in ourselves. Yet we never have a real excuse for surrendering our hope in Jesus Christ.
We don’t deserve the help he gives us. Yet there is the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We receive the call at confirmation to be soldiers and witnesses for Jesus Christ in the world. All are called to the heights of glory. What, me be a real saint? As with Mary, there is no natural explanation. Thought we have sinned grievously, our saviors image is born in us. Mary had no relations with a man, yet she bore us a savior.
I can’t give you a natural or physical explanation. But even the hubble telescope and all of the microscopes in the world cannot perceive all that the heavens and earth truly cannot contain. In this year of the priest, I’m humbled to be a witness of the Lamb of God for you. As a priests and witnesses, it is our joy and our honor to bring you the Lamb of God on the altar. By this year of the priest, may priests always lead people to be saints, to stand forth more fully in the light of heaven. Rise up saints of God! Don your white robes, made pure in his blood. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Christ sees us as his brethren and with him sons of the Father. We are witnesses with Jesus. That is what we are. Such vision comes from the Father. Christ desires that all would be saved and come to know the glory of God. Many feel that true holiness is out of reach. God the Father knows differently and helps us to witness to his goodness in freedom. The role of the priest is not only to bring the Eucharist, but to cheerlead for God amongst his children, uniting them all as saints.
The feast of All Saints originates in the rededication of the Pantheon in Rome. Once a Temple to all of the gods, Boniface IV rededicated the circular structure as a church in honor of Mary, Queen of All Martyrs in 610. Why did the Romans build the pantheon in the first place? As their power grew, I suppose that they had to hedge their bets. Playing it safe meant trying to appease whatever spiritual forces may try to govern our world. Even in the height of grandeur which facilitated the Pantheon, man was still a slave to fears as numerous as the sky.
What held the imagination of men and women captive in the pagan world, was to be laid hold of by Christian souls. The victory hymn of the martyr reveals the hidden mysteries of the vault of heaven. Who are all of these people (sweeping hands across the assembly) wearing white robes, where did they come from? These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Christ for awhile was made lower than the angels. He gave shared his divine life with us. The new pantheon became the sign of all who have overcome the oppressive powers of this world.
Christ our High Priest has chosen us and called us by name. In him we are created anew. Each one has been set aside for life from the dawn of existence. Jesus can say with all authority, Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the clean of heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Christ knows and calls us each in turn. The work of salvation is from our God. Salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb who was slain.
No longer do we shuffle about to curry petty favor from fickle gods. Salvation belongs to our God. Furthermore, we have a savior, the lamb of God who knows what it means to be poor, to mourn, to be meek, to hunger for righteousness. Indeed our Jesus shows us mercy, purity, and peace. Christ like us in all things but sin. We praise this one Lord who alone frees us from death and raises us to life beyond the splendor of the stars.
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, the violent are taking by force. Christ prepares us for the battle we must each face against evil. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Our identity as Christians is under attack from the devil from the day of our baptism. Moreover, Christ says only the violent shall enter it. The envy of the devil toward the Christ’s brethren deserves a violent response. We do not submit to any servile fear as the pagan Romans did, cowering under the hands of evil spirits. Instead, we witness to the power of Jesus Christ. Our wager is to aim for the heights of heaven.
Some still try to live with servile fear not only of the devil but certainly of God himself. There can never be any compromise with evil. From the moment we serve disorder, we are bound to reap its rewards. Too often, folks feel that true holiness is out of reach. On looking at the sins we have already committed, we easily lose hope in ourselves. Yet we never have a real excuse for surrendering our hope in Jesus Christ.
We don’t deserve the help he gives us. Yet there is the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We receive the call at confirmation to be soldiers and witnesses for Jesus Christ in the world. All are called to the heights of glory. What, me be a real saint? As with Mary, there is no natural explanation. Thought we have sinned grievously, our saviors image is born in us. Mary had no relations with a man, yet she bore us a savior.
I can’t give you a natural or physical explanation. But even the hubble telescope and all of the microscopes in the world cannot perceive all that the heavens and earth truly cannot contain. In this year of the priest, I’m humbled to be a witness of the Lamb of God for you. As a priests and witnesses, it is our joy and our honor to bring you the Lamb of God on the altar. By this year of the priest, may priests always lead people to be saints, to stand forth more fully in the light of heaven. Rise up saints of God! Don your white robes, made pure in his blood. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Honor your Father and your Mother
I'm almost thirty, but my parents have the ability to make me feel like I am four. That's something to be thankful for. "Brian! please don't do that. Oh yes, I thought I was pretty grown up.
Responsibility: the final frontier. After overcoming many challenges and grievous personal sins, the battle against sloth rages on. It's easy to procrastinate. The more time I have, the more likely I am to think that I have "enough time" to complete them. This phrase is a non-entity. By thinking in this way, I'm giving way to the notion that my work is not important enough to take up the whole day or alternatively that I shouldn't enjoy it. Just do it.
"Just Love It." would be a more fitting slogan. Greatness is on my mind especially with tomorrow being All Saints. Rise up! Responsibility be thou a joyful and creative burden. By doing things beautifully, I would mount the walls of the Holy City where the saints dwell.
I just wonder why I have been running all out like a pole vaulter toward the wall. I come away disappointed that I just have to climb. It's the climb that changes me and proves me and that I enjoy the most. "You rejoice with indescribable joy because you are achieving faith's goal: your salvation." (1 Pet 8-9) Work is pleasing. The flights of my ego leave me down below the moat.
I would have been a challenging child to raise to be sure. The saints give their parents joy by accepting and imitating the higher parentage of the Spirit. Though I cringe at it, I'm happy to be reminded of my four-year old days. I just enjoy helping different parents now. How long since I wanted to be like my parents? Wow.
Responsibility: the final frontier. After overcoming many challenges and grievous personal sins, the battle against sloth rages on. It's easy to procrastinate. The more time I have, the more likely I am to think that I have "enough time" to complete them. This phrase is a non-entity. By thinking in this way, I'm giving way to the notion that my work is not important enough to take up the whole day or alternatively that I shouldn't enjoy it. Just do it.
"Just Love It." would be a more fitting slogan. Greatness is on my mind especially with tomorrow being All Saints. Rise up! Responsibility be thou a joyful and creative burden. By doing things beautifully, I would mount the walls of the Holy City where the saints dwell.
I just wonder why I have been running all out like a pole vaulter toward the wall. I come away disappointed that I just have to climb. It's the climb that changes me and proves me and that I enjoy the most. "You rejoice with indescribable joy because you are achieving faith's goal: your salvation." (1 Pet 8-9) Work is pleasing. The flights of my ego leave me down below the moat.
I would have been a challenging child to raise to be sure. The saints give their parents joy by accepting and imitating the higher parentage of the Spirit. Though I cringe at it, I'm happy to be reminded of my four-year old days. I just enjoy helping different parents now. How long since I wanted to be like my parents? Wow.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Blind Bartimaeus
Something said that this is right. What prompted Bartimaeus to call out in need to the Son of David?
When I in college, I went with some of my friends from Church to work in a day care. It was the largest day care in Kansas City, Missouri, in the inner city, where most of the kids came from difficult family situations. Often, their own mothers were not fully able to give them the affection that they so needed. The children were two and three, and as we sat and played with them, they had a constant need for attention. Simply to be held by an adult was a luxury to them. They had learned skills to try to capture the most attention for the longest amount of time.
From a young age, our hearts are crying out to God. Embrace us Lord show us the fatherliness of God. The Father does not wait for us to be ready. A very common spiritual mishap is to go to God on my own terms. In the time of the prophet Jeremiah, all the people of Israel recognized the danger they were in. Only God could possibly save them from the invading Babylonians. They knew of the many sins of the past. How they tried to be acceptable to God! They put their faith in temple worship, and trusted in God’s mercy. They tried to be good and it still wasn’t good enough. Bad things still happened, and an entire people went into exile.
In the midst of this turmoil, Jeremiah has the audacity to preach, “Shout with joy! I will bring them back. For I am a Father to Israel.” That they had lost the Temple and the possession of the land, led Israel to deep self-doubt. “They departed in tears but I will console them.” We never can measure up by the world’s standards nor by our own. But God’s ways are not ours. What we see as failure and confusion, is crystal clear to God. The Father has a different standard.
Jesus can pull a person from the brink of despair. What anguish is flowing out of this man who declares, “Son of David, have pity on me.” One of Israel’s lost sheep calls out in search of the Good Shepherd. The voices that command our silence only spur us further on. That dirty devil would drive us further into a hole, perhaps of our own making and also of his. “Have pity on me!” As a son, measure me and weigh me to see if I am still your own, you who are indeed Son of the Most High. How are we judged? We are judged as his own. To judge ourselves before the time is folly. Any of our feelings of self-worth are premature and irrelevant. What matters to God is that we are his own. Through the prophetic words of scripture he calls out to us.
Anyone not smart enough, not strong enough in their own eyes, can be heard and understood fully for who they are. Every life is so precious. In this respect life month, let us acknowledge that every human life is treasured by our God. Those alienated and marginalized by society deserve our charity and respect. This includes the poor, the sick and dying, and all those with mental and physical handicaps. They face the greatest threat when those who are diagnosed with down syndrome and other conditions are slated to be murdered by the abortionist. Why are so many afraid to let these lights shine? They want to live, but society has become like the crowd, silencing the voice of those who suffer.
Jesus, the High Priest, glorifies the one who sent him. He shows God’s greatness in every child he redeems. Rise up! Throw off despair and follow Christ with a willing heart.
When I in college, I went with some of my friends from Church to work in a day care. It was the largest day care in Kansas City, Missouri, in the inner city, where most of the kids came from difficult family situations. Often, their own mothers were not fully able to give them the affection that they so needed. The children were two and three, and as we sat and played with them, they had a constant need for attention. Simply to be held by an adult was a luxury to them. They had learned skills to try to capture the most attention for the longest amount of time.
From a young age, our hearts are crying out to God. Embrace us Lord show us the fatherliness of God. The Father does not wait for us to be ready. A very common spiritual mishap is to go to God on my own terms. In the time of the prophet Jeremiah, all the people of Israel recognized the danger they were in. Only God could possibly save them from the invading Babylonians. They knew of the many sins of the past. How they tried to be acceptable to God! They put their faith in temple worship, and trusted in God’s mercy. They tried to be good and it still wasn’t good enough. Bad things still happened, and an entire people went into exile.
In the midst of this turmoil, Jeremiah has the audacity to preach, “Shout with joy! I will bring them back. For I am a Father to Israel.” That they had lost the Temple and the possession of the land, led Israel to deep self-doubt. “They departed in tears but I will console them.” We never can measure up by the world’s standards nor by our own. But God’s ways are not ours. What we see as failure and confusion, is crystal clear to God. The Father has a different standard.
Jesus can pull a person from the brink of despair. What anguish is flowing out of this man who declares, “Son of David, have pity on me.” One of Israel’s lost sheep calls out in search of the Good Shepherd. The voices that command our silence only spur us further on. That dirty devil would drive us further into a hole, perhaps of our own making and also of his. “Have pity on me!” As a son, measure me and weigh me to see if I am still your own, you who are indeed Son of the Most High. How are we judged? We are judged as his own. To judge ourselves before the time is folly. Any of our feelings of self-worth are premature and irrelevant. What matters to God is that we are his own. Through the prophetic words of scripture he calls out to us.
Anyone not smart enough, not strong enough in their own eyes, can be heard and understood fully for who they are. Every life is so precious. In this respect life month, let us acknowledge that every human life is treasured by our God. Those alienated and marginalized by society deserve our charity and respect. This includes the poor, the sick and dying, and all those with mental and physical handicaps. They face the greatest threat when those who are diagnosed with down syndrome and other conditions are slated to be murdered by the abortionist. Why are so many afraid to let these lights shine? They want to live, but society has become like the crowd, silencing the voice of those who suffer.
Jesus, the High Priest, glorifies the one who sent him. He shows God’s greatness in every child he redeems. Rise up! Throw off despair and follow Christ with a willing heart.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
A Look of Love
You will have treasure in heaven. The problem with earthly wealthy is its weight. Analysts and investors of the stock market know that what goes up must come down. What ever money is thrown upon the pile must have a final destination and purpose. The economic system does not have value in itself. Like electricity, the energy of our economic system is always generated by resources in the physical world. As investors try to time the stocks or the real estate market will they be able to build new wealth, or will the foundation shrink like the sand of an hour glass?
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructs the young pastor to teach those with means not to rely on wealth. Jesus insists that the young man plant his good on solid ground. Let your wealth go and you will have treasure in heaven. That rich man went away sad, for he had many possessions. The scripture could have well added, “and he was still not rich.”
It is well established that many people in the early church of Jerusalem took the Lord at his word. They abandoned their wealth and means of production to supply the needs of the poor. They were not Communists due to their respect for existing temporal power. In fulfilling the Lord’s command to the letter, faithful disciples gained treasure in heaven and disregarded its status on Earth. For the Acts of the Apostles teaches us how they held everything in common, sharing in the breaking of the bread, prayer, and the teaching of the apostles.
This way of life is an idyllic picture of the Christian faithful. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if the things that always topped our priorities were consistently fellowship, Eucharist, prayer, and the teaching of our faith? It can still be this way even though the strict rigor of austere poverty is impossible. The community of Jerusalem discovered the practical difficulties of being poor all together in the literal sense. Let we the comfortable not forget that the vast majority of the Christian faithful still live at the subsistence level, where community necessarily affords greater wealth than privacy.
I prayed and prudence was given to me; I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me…all good things came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands. Christ could anticipate the reaction of the man who had been faithful in the commandments. The man wanted to inherit eternal life, and all along he still wished for his subservience to remain intact. That rich man had not yet found sweetest delight in God. If he had only admitted his poverty to the greatest degree. Exiled from heaven, our souls also find the bountiful gifts of God to be foreign.
St. Augustine of Hippo wrote about how he treasured the goodness of creation. He cherished all the beauty of the world only to discover be found wanting more. It was as if the moon and stars and sun were saying, “I am not He. He made me, but I am not he whom you seek.” Dear friends, the word of God is living and effective, a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. For a millennium the poor have been taught to have patience in their state and to hope for heaven. Even as the heart of the poor man is joyfully separated from his infirmity in the living presence of Jesus Christ, so to the man find all of his goods to have only a relative importance.
The less any individual has in what matters to God, the poorer he finds himself even in the face of great sufficiency. How difficult it is to get to heaven! This astonishing phrase has even more meaning today. How difficult to manage income and balance priorities in just the right way. When do the returns on investment cease to matter? If it is difficult balancing the goods of this world, the Lord knows how challenging it can be to be simple divine in the management of one’s wealth.
The Lord looked at him and loved him. Jesus loses nothing by sharing the wealth of the Father with us all. This age is soon coming to its close. Paul says that all who buy should live as if it were not theirs to keep, all who use wealth as not being engrossed in it. Those who have wealth can do the most good by using their wealth for the wise and loving intentions of the creator. How beautiful it is to provide education and opportunities not only for one’s children, but for their children, and for children in a distant and foreign slum. Though we are blest with private property, we own it only as stewards. This is the real engine of economic growth will always be human development. All other signs off wealth, frills, should be treated sparingly. If a little extra enjoyment reminds me of that smile from Jesus, that’s good. Yet we know how easy it is to take God’s place and try to arrange everything just right. “He went away sad for he had many possessions, and even after all that he still wasn’t rich or happy.”
All of the goods of this world are just a prelude to the glory of God, fully expanded in heavenly glory. Blessed are they who share in Jesus’ look of love, blessing others through love and good works. Let us not be ashamed to listen to the word of Christ. Hearken to him friends. He wishes for us to build one another up and plan for a happier future, lest our economic security become shallow in resources and in aims.
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructs the young pastor to teach those with means not to rely on wealth. Jesus insists that the young man plant his good on solid ground. Let your wealth go and you will have treasure in heaven. That rich man went away sad, for he had many possessions. The scripture could have well added, “and he was still not rich.”
It is well established that many people in the early church of Jerusalem took the Lord at his word. They abandoned their wealth and means of production to supply the needs of the poor. They were not Communists due to their respect for existing temporal power. In fulfilling the Lord’s command to the letter, faithful disciples gained treasure in heaven and disregarded its status on Earth. For the Acts of the Apostles teaches us how they held everything in common, sharing in the breaking of the bread, prayer, and the teaching of the apostles.
This way of life is an idyllic picture of the Christian faithful. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if the things that always topped our priorities were consistently fellowship, Eucharist, prayer, and the teaching of our faith? It can still be this way even though the strict rigor of austere poverty is impossible. The community of Jerusalem discovered the practical difficulties of being poor all together in the literal sense. Let we the comfortable not forget that the vast majority of the Christian faithful still live at the subsistence level, where community necessarily affords greater wealth than privacy.
I prayed and prudence was given to me; I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me…all good things came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands. Christ could anticipate the reaction of the man who had been faithful in the commandments. The man wanted to inherit eternal life, and all along he still wished for his subservience to remain intact. That rich man had not yet found sweetest delight in God. If he had only admitted his poverty to the greatest degree. Exiled from heaven, our souls also find the bountiful gifts of God to be foreign.
St. Augustine of Hippo wrote about how he treasured the goodness of creation. He cherished all the beauty of the world only to discover be found wanting more. It was as if the moon and stars and sun were saying, “I am not He. He made me, but I am not he whom you seek.” Dear friends, the word of God is living and effective, a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. For a millennium the poor have been taught to have patience in their state and to hope for heaven. Even as the heart of the poor man is joyfully separated from his infirmity in the living presence of Jesus Christ, so to the man find all of his goods to have only a relative importance.
The less any individual has in what matters to God, the poorer he finds himself even in the face of great sufficiency. How difficult it is to get to heaven! This astonishing phrase has even more meaning today. How difficult to manage income and balance priorities in just the right way. When do the returns on investment cease to matter? If it is difficult balancing the goods of this world, the Lord knows how challenging it can be to be simple divine in the management of one’s wealth.
The Lord looked at him and loved him. Jesus loses nothing by sharing the wealth of the Father with us all. This age is soon coming to its close. Paul says that all who buy should live as if it were not theirs to keep, all who use wealth as not being engrossed in it. Those who have wealth can do the most good by using their wealth for the wise and loving intentions of the creator. How beautiful it is to provide education and opportunities not only for one’s children, but for their children, and for children in a distant and foreign slum. Though we are blest with private property, we own it only as stewards. This is the real engine of economic growth will always be human development. All other signs off wealth, frills, should be treated sparingly. If a little extra enjoyment reminds me of that smile from Jesus, that’s good. Yet we know how easy it is to take God’s place and try to arrange everything just right. “He went away sad for he had many possessions, and even after all that he still wasn’t rich or happy.”
All of the goods of this world are just a prelude to the glory of God, fully expanded in heavenly glory. Blessed are they who share in Jesus’ look of love, blessing others through love and good works. Let us not be ashamed to listen to the word of Christ. Hearken to him friends. He wishes for us to build one another up and plan for a happier future, lest our economic security become shallow in resources and in aims.
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