The scene described in today’s Gospel reminds me a lot of the political atmosphere in Washington, DC: people jockeying for positions of influence, throwing parties to make allies. It can be a very self-centered culture. Jesus tell us, as Christians, that our lives cannot be like this. Rather than looking to be exalted, we should humble ourselves. Rather than always looking to get something, the joy of the Christian life is found by those who are always looking to give. Today’s homily comes on the occasion of the release of the annual financial report to the parishes and offers some concrete advice about stewardship and giving.
In the end, the thing that is most dangerous to us on our path toward heaven is our own selfishness. Anytime we put something ahead of God, we fail and are ultimately unhappy. The secret is to put God first. To put God first, we must pay God first. This is the beautiful secret to Christian happiness, a truth that I find best symbolized by, of all things, a mosque in the middle of the desert.