September 20, 1998Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
On Sunday, Sept 20 throughout the U.S.A. the Catholic Church honors all catechists for their important work of teaching the Catholic faith. While it is true that parents are the primary religious educators of their children through their teaching and example in the home, parents also need others who assist them in teaching the faith to children and young people. Priests, Deacons, Schools, RCIA, RCIC and Re-Membering Church Catechists, Children's Liturgy of the Word Catechists, School Board Members, Home and School, and the catechists who assist with our sacramental preparation programs, as well as, those who prepare families for the celebration of infant baptisms all these assist us in teaching our faith to others. May the Holy Spirit guide and inspire all our catechists to share the light of our faith!
As the Church year moves on, we will begin to hear gradually at first, and then more and more, themes of judgement, accountability, and the end times, until the Church year ends with a "crescendo" on the Solemnity of Christ the King, which marks the end of the Church's year. The first Sunday in Advent will begin the new year.
The Gospel this weekend has an overtone of intrigue with it, as St. Luke relates Jesus telling the parable of the devious steward. The parable is a lesson in accountability, justice and judgement. Dr. Reginald Fuller, in his book Preaching the Lectionary, says that "Taken by itself, the parable is a challenge of Jesus to his contemporaries to make a drastic decision for the coming of the kingdom of God before it is too late (cf. the parable of the wise and foolish virgins). The string of sayings gives a new application to the parable: the disciples are to show as much intelligence in the use of wealth as the unjust steward did in his own interests."
I think that it can be safely said that the teaching here is not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but a warning to be aware of the false gods and idols in our lives, which usually take the form of vice or sin in some way. These can be especially destructive if they result in the human person leading some sort of double life: that is what the "Two Masters" are about. That is, pretending to be one way, while in one's heart leading another life quite the opposite.
The Gospel is a challenge of grace, and the necessity of leading an authentic Christian life: so that what we try to live in our daily exterior life (with concern for the poor, justice and our public ritual worship) reflects what we are in our hearts before the Lord.
This Sunday we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, in tune with the beginning of another year of faith formation programs in our various parish sponsored schools. We honor and pray especially for our catechists who have accepted the call to be teachers following the example of the Lord Jesus who was often called in the Gospel's-"teacher..." Also it seems fitting that we pray for all parents who are called to be catechists in their homes, and who hold the ultimate responsibility for passing on to their children the beliefs and practices of our Church. In the rite of baptism for infants and small children the celebrant speaks to the parents in the following fashion "You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him/her in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring him/her up to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor. Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking? Parents: We do." Furthermore in the baptismal ritual after the blessing of water the celebrant reiterates "On your part, you must make it your constant care to bring him/her up in the practice of faith."
The Second Reading this Sunday seems especially appropriate as the author reminds us of our responsibility "to pray for those in authority" (1 Tim 2:1-8) which I believe should be extended to include those parents who hold authority (having authored them) over their children. To help parents understand and live out their responsibilities we have mailed to all families (who have registered children in any of our schools) a Christian Witness Covenant, asking that this statement be accepted as a guide to help them be faithful to their intentions given at the Baptism of their children. "We/I know that no matter how clearly and effectively the parish of St. Alban communicates the truth of our faith, unless my children see these truths take flesh in our family, then there is little hope that the Faith will take root in their hearts. I believe that the parish can deepen, enrich and re-enforce the Faith that my children experience in their family. I understand my own witness as essential to the religious development and growth of my children. Practically, I understand this to mean:
To be faithful to this covenant we need the daily guidance and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Second Reading's first paragraph offers the image of a person with hands held aloft in prayer, which symbolizes the gift of oneself with one's hands to the God above, and at the same time, the gift of the Spirit into one's hands from above.
The Second Reading this Sunday is also very timely considering the current crisis that our President faces and the challenge it presents to us citizens. "First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings to be offered for all men, especially for kings and those in authority, that we may be able to lead undisturbed and tranquil lives in perfect piety and dignity."(1 Tim 2:1) The tone of our prayers for our elected leaders, should reflect Gospel values and the common good, not partisan interests. Taking a cue from the Gospel of this Sunday, which is a story about making decisions, the manager of the property has to decide what to do next. Our prayers for our President could be along the lines that his decisions reflect Gospel values, e.g. Sacredness of life, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, justice, etc.) and that his decisions will promote the common good and social justice. Finally all the Readings this Sunday should lead us to reflect upon our responsibilities as stewards of what has been estimated to our care. "Our goal is not to secure wealth, but to secure life with God." (Word Among Us, page 36).
1) Amos 8, 4-7
2) 1 Timothy 2, 1-8
3) Luke 16, 1-13
Some financial instruments such as certificates of deposit, mutual fund shares, or bonds have a "minimum initial investment." In order to participate one must invest at least $1000 or $5000 or $10,000 (and so on). There are those who believe that the church works that way too. "Father, how often do I have to go to confession?" "I don't see why I have to go to Mass every week." "Who cares whether I use envelopes or not?" "I don't have time to do anything with the church except go to Mass, and even that takes too long most Sundays."
There is good news! There is no "minimum investment" required in the church. But before rejoicing, think of the people Amos addresses who wait for the end of religious obligations only to increase themselves. "Never will I forget a thing they have done!" says the Lord.(1) There is no gift too small to return to God except that made small by selfishness or greed or a small heart. Stewardship is God's trusting us to do the right things with the resources he has given us. "If you can trust a man in little things, you can also trust him in greater' while anyone unjust in a slight matter is also unjust in a greater." Jesus told his disciples. There is no minimum investment. All that the Lord requires is that we love him with our whole heart and mind and soul and strength.
Next Sunday the readings will be: 1)Amos 6, 1. 4-7; 2)1 Timothy 6, 11-16; 3)Luke 16, 19-31.
Today's readings bring us up against these two gods and the choice we have to make if we cannot reconcile them. We hear the prophet Amos voicing the anger of God at those who get rich by making others poorer. That is not something that exists only in the pages of the Old Testament; it goes on in our world today.
The gospel is a little more puzzling. It is a parable in which dishonesty seems to be praised and wily action approved. The steward is ensuring his own future by ingratiating himself with his master's debtors. Whether he was a slave or a free man, his disloyalty would have been a serious breach of trust. Perhaps this man was engaged in a sort of damage control. He might have been entitled to a commission on all transactions, and in canceling his part of the repayment would appear generous. His master would still reclaim the capital, but he would have put these debtors in debt to him. He would have let go of something in order to gain for the future. Seen in this light, the master's grudging admiration for his wasteful steward makes sense.
The word "mammon" comes from a root which means "firm" or "certain". Mammon is that in which we put our trust, the thing on which we rely. What answer do we give when asked the question: "In what do you put your trust and see as the most certain thing?" God has blessed us with so many gifts and blessings and in today's gospel, Jesus is asking us to use faithfully all that has been given to us, however small. We are to make the best of all our possessions and gifts of personality. If we begin by being dishonest in little things, we shall apply the same standards to big ones. God is simply asking to be included in our life. Then we will not be totally absorbed in the world we are building around us. So much in our consumer society is thrown away, quickly outdated and expendable. It is easy to become careless with what does not belong to us. Other people's time and belongings may have little value to us. The world and its people are God's, and we are the stewards. In a prayer to the Holy Spirit we say: "Fill our hearts with your love, and renew the face of the earth." Love does not exploit and does not misuse for gain; rather it values what it has. Each day we make choices as to what is important. In choosing not to be possessed by what we have, we allow God to be present.
The Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. These four characteristics are inseparably linked with each other and indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. She is one because of her source, the one God, who in himself is a mystery of unity in the Trinity of Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church is one because of her founder, the one who came from God to redeem humankind and restore the unity of the human community by his death and resurrection. The Church is one also because of her "soul", the Holy Spirit dwelling in those who believe and guiding the faithful in truth.
Within this unity are gathered a great diversity of peoples and cultures whose members are also diverse in their gifts, offices, conditions and ways of life. There are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions and rites. This great richness of diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity. Yet sin and its consequences do threaten this gift of unity. We are exhorted to maintain "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3) We continue to pray that all unity within the human community may one day be completely restored.
The dishonest manager in today's parable knew how to manipulate money to his own advantage. But the Gospel warns that no one can serve both God and money. Which do I serve? Is my stewardship such that anyone can tell?
I saw a teenager in a tee shirt recently. Printed on the front was, "God's Raw Material" (you have to admit that some are more raw than others!).
So much of what we do in our parish concerns itself with "God's Raw Material": our children. "Little Lambs" is underway. Our School of Religion and R.C.I.A. started last week. Another class of young people will be confirmed on November 7. Each year, we look at how we can improve and better our programs. There is one thing that we cannot do: we cannot be the parents of these children. The cover of NEWSWEEK last week posed the question: "Do Parents Matter?" We say they do! We say YOU do! As another school year starts, recommit yourself to being a role model of faith for your children. Come to Church as a family. Pray at home as a family. With your help, that "raw material" will grow into men and women of God.
As we celebrate and observe this Catechetical Sunday, it is most important that we recognize our need for ongoing formation in our Catholic faith. Most of us received some measure of religious education when we were children, but I dare to say it may have stopped there. Our faith is such that it needs to be nourished continually. This we do by prayer, worship, reflection and persistent study. Reading the Scriptures as well as sound religious periodicals can be a great assistance to us in our faith formation. Attending adult religious education opportunities in our parish is also another way of responding to that deep need. May I encourage all of you to be vigilant in your seeking a greater understanding of God, His Son, Jesus Christ, and our Catholic Faith.
Did you notice, by the way, that we are referring to the parish's educational ministries as Christian Formation? "Catechism Class" and "CCD" are terms that were used before the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's. "Religious Education" became popular after that time, and is still a good description of part of what goes on in Christian Formation. Christian Formation implies that our goal as Catholics is to constantly be in formation as followers of Christ. It is not simply a matter of intellectual assent to a body of beliefs, but a way of life in a body of believers. Hence, we learn the truths outlined in the Catechism, we are believers of a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), and we educate ourselves in Catholic religious matters and practices. We can't do it alone, we are supported by, and greatly enriched by the faith sharing that occurs in our gatherings: classes, study groups, prayer groups, and liturgy. We are persons of both prayers and action, the community who lives out the mission and ministry of Jesus of announcing and building the Kingdom of God. We rely on information that educates us, formation that makes us into people of God, and, ultimately, transformation of ourselves and our world. That's what Christian Formation is about.
Part of the preparation for the approach of the Year 2000 is the series of Synods begun after the Second Vatican Council; general Synods together with continental, regional, national, and diocesan Synods. The theme underlying them all is evangelization, or rather the new evangelization, the foundations of which were laid down in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi of Pope Paul VI, issued in 1975.The preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000 is thus taking place throughout the whole church, on the universal and local levels, giving her a new awareness of the salvific mission she has received from Christ. Pope John Paul II, On the Coming Third Millennium. paragraph #21
1) The Holy Father has invited us to do so. "Do as much as possible to ensure that the great challenge of the year 2000 is not overlooked...for this involves a special race of the Lord for the Church and the whole of humanity." 2) As a jubilee year, it is "a year of favor from the Lord" an opportunity to begin anew. We celebrate 2000 years of Christ's Church. 3) Occurring only once every 1000 years, a new millennium is a unique time in history that calls for an engaging message of faith. "There is a need for a better appreciation and understanding of the signs of hope present in the last part of this century". 4) These years provide a special opportunity for evangelization. "Our witness must reflect love & zeal for the gospel in our own lives." 5) It can be a time to re-energize ourselves and celebrate the good present in our lives, our church and society.
Celebrate 2000!...Reflections on Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and the Father, by Pope John Paul II.
The Clergy: A Grace for the Whole Church...The ministries which exist and are at work at this time in the Church are all - even in their variety of forms - a participation in Jesus Christ's own ministry as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (see John 10:11), the humble servant who gives Himself without reserve for the salvation of all (see Mark 10:45). The Apostle Paul is quite clear in speaking about the ministerial constitution of the Church in apostolic times. In His First Letter to the Corinthians he writes: "And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers..." (1 Cor 12:28)
In a primary position in the Church are the ordained ministries, that is, the ministries that come from the Sacrament of Orders. In fact, with the mandate to make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:19), the Lord Jesus chose and constituted the Apostles - seed of the People of the New Covenant and origin of the hierarchy - to form and to rule the priestly people. The mission of the Apostles, which the Lord Jesus continues to entrust to the pastors of His People, is a true service, significantly referred to in Sacred Scripture as...service or ministry.
The ministries receive the charism of the Holy Spirit from the risen Christ in uninterrupted succession from the Apostles, through the Sacrament of Orders. From Him they receive the authority and sacred power to serve the Church, acting...in the person of Christ, the Head, and to gather her in the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and the sacraments.
The ordained ministries, apart from the persons who receive them, are a grace for the entire Church. These ministries express and realize a participation in the priesthood of Jesus Christ that is different, not simply in degree but in essence, from the participation given to all the lay faithful through Baptism and Confirmation. On the other hand, the ministerial priesthood...essentially has the royal priesthood of all the faithful as its aim and is ordered to it.
For this reason, so as to assure and to increase communion in the Church, particularly in those places where there is a diversity and complementarity of ministries, pastors must always acknowledge that their ministry is fundamentally ordered to the service of the entire people of God (see Hebrews 5:1). The lay faithful, in turn, must acknowledge that the ministerial pristhood is totally necessary for their participation in the mission of the Church.
The Church's mission of salvation in the world is realized not only by the ministers in virtue of the Sacrament of Orders but also by all the lay faithful...The pastors, therefore, ought to acknowledge and foster the ministries, the offices, and roles of the lay faithful that find their foundation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, indeed, for a good many of them,in the Sacrament of Matrimony. [CL n. 21-22]
