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.
1 comment
Really like your website and the recorded homilies. I like to listen to them in the mornings while washing dishes etc. and am surprised to find something I may have forgotten or just wanted to hear again! I like that you tell people what they need to hear; not necessarily what they want to hear and in a way that is not offensive, but also not watered down. When you get us squirming a little in the pews, I know you are hitting the mark! So, don’t worry about making us squirm. We must like it as I have noticed more people at mass… 🙂