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25th September 2022

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Amos 6:1, 4-7; 1 Tim 6: 11-16; Lk 16: 19-31)

REFLECT: care for the poor

Dear friends,

Jesus very clearly tells us in Lk 12:15 “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Yes, abundance of possessions is not all in life rather sharing the portion of possessions that we have with others is important and worthwhile. Someone has very beautifully said, “caring is one of the best ways of nourishing and nurturing relationship with the other.” I think it is true. We all of us have something or the other to share with each other apart from financial assistance and support because, all do not expect financial support or assistance. The needs or wants change from person to person just as our perspectives, others perspective and God’s perspectives differ. So how we can considerably care for the poor is pointed out in the liturgy of the word by having three “don’ts” in life. So based on the liturgy of the word of God for the day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1.     Don’t oppress the poor:

The one way to care for the poor is not to oppress them or afflict them by dominance and subjugation. Today dominance and control over all has become common and much more than all, the poor and the weak have become subject and object of dominance. It is because they have no one to support or care for or have no shoulder to lay and rest.  In the first reading, prophet Amos gives a strong warning to those secure in their riches and the rich who remain idle. The life of pleasure described in Amos is not self-indulgence but the refusal to care for Israel. The rich and the ruling classes in Zion and Samaria are warned for their gross luxury combined with a total unconcern for the ruin of Joseph (Israel).

Prophet Amos says that the notables or renowned of the first of the nations, who anointed themselves will be the first one to go to exile. What we notice in the first reading is that no sins of the rich people are mentioned but their uncaring and unconcerned attitude towards the poor leads the poor to ruins. Perhaps what mattered to rich people was their food, wine, comfort and amusements. Today, there are many among us too, who find delight in oppressing the poor and the weak by least botheration over the poor; the dominance over the poor and the satisfaction of the rich within themselves too oppress the poor still harder.

At times it makes us feel that even if we don’t care for the poor, but if we could stop oppressing the poor by way of injustice, disrespect, hatred, negligence and other dehumanizing activities, it will be of great help for the poor to be free and happy. We read in the book of proverbs, “He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished,” (Prov 17:5);  “He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty,” (Prov 22:16). So let us make every attempt not to oppress the poor by words that we utter or deeds that we do.

2.     Don’t be greedy:

Another way of caring for the poor is not being greedy but sharing with them what we have. Because by being greedy, we don’t give to others what they deserve. That’s what Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation says, “The earth has enough for everyone’s need and not for everyone’s greed.” The opening phrase of second reading is “but you man of God, shun all these and strive to be holy and godly.” The reference to ‘shun all these’ is seen in the previous verse of the same passage in 1 Tim 6:10, “Love of money is the root of every evil. Because of this greed, some have wandered away from the faith, bringing on themselves afflictions of every kind.”

 Yes, the second reading gives us warning against being greedy and urges us to focus life on faith. And so we hear Paul addressing us to be pure and blameless, living in faith, love and gentleness; fight the good fight of faith and win everlasting life, to which we are called. Yes, the call of each one of us is to profess faith, confess faith and live the faith in Jesus Christ. When life does not correspond to the faith that we profess and confess, it becomes just life a castle in the air, meaningless and purposeless. Faith in Christ is the focus and not greedy for money. Today, to some extent money has become the motivating factor to grow in faith; faith is bought at times and not taught or fostered. When faith does not become a primary thing, money becomes a prime thing in life. When money becomes a priority, our wants, needs and desires increase more; when desires of all sorts increase, we become greedy and feel that without money we can’t live.  

As it is said, an inordinate love of money is wrong not only because it poisons our faith, but also because it leads to injustice against our neighbor. St. Maximus further tells us, “The person who is avaricious always takes advantage of someone else; he feasts himself on others’ downfall.” Those who rejoice in the fall of others will themselves be brought low. After noting that greed is restricted not only to money, but also to a desire for honor and status, St. Anthony of Padua tells us, “The more a greedy person possesses, the more does he strive to ascend. And so it happens that when a greedy, ambitious person falls, his fall is disastrous.” So instead of having a disastrous fall by greed, let us have glorious liberty and freedom by having faith in Christ and by caring for one another in the world.

3.     Don’t ignore the poor

We tend to ask sometimes, is ignoring the poor a sin? Is doing nothing to the poor a sin? Yes, knowing the fact that the other is poor, if we ignore them or do nothing to overcome the state of poverty, it is a sin, because knowing the state of poverty yet choosing to remain silent is an unjust act done to the poor.  The parable of a Rich man and Lazarus points out how the rich man feasted everyday sumptuously, clothed in purple and fine linen without even being mindful of the poor Lazarus at the gate.

The man was so rich that he was even blinded to see the poor Lazarus at the gate. The root cause of becoming blind to see Lazarus was his greediness. Because of the greed, he ignored the poor Lazarus, he was blind to see poor Lazarus. The rich man was full of himself, ate good food, wore good and fine clothes, the gate where Lazarus implies perhaps a palace like place. Naturally, when he had food, clothing and shelter to the extreme, he forgot, ignored or lost sight of poor Lazarus. The mistake of the rich man was not being full of himself but being full of himself he failed to share with the poor Lazarus and ignored him completely. That’s what richness and greed can lead us to ignore people.

It is told that St. Dominic once sold his valuable parchments to buy food for the poor when his town suffered from famine; as the saint said, “I will not study on dead skins, when living skins are dying of hunger.” The saint did not ignore the poor who suffered in famine rather cared for the living who were dying of hunger. The fate of the rich man’s richness and ignorance of poor Lazarus made him lose his place in the company of angels and Abraham in heaven. The rich man was not even given an opportunity to cool his tongue by the dip of water from the finger of Lazarus.

As St. Mother Teresa of Kolkatha says, “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” Yes, this could have been the experience of poor Lazarus of being unwanted, unloved, uncared, unnoticed and ignored completely. So let us make every attempt not to ignore those in poverty in different levels, let us love them, give them all that we can. Let us continue to see the face of Jesus in the poor, the weak and the uncared and unconcerned in our society.

RESPOND:

Do I oppress the poor in my words and deeds?

Do I have greedy for money or help the needy and the helpless?

Do I ignore the poor or make every step to ignite the poor to smile and be happy in life?

Let us care for the poor, share with them all that we can within our limits and limitations. Let us show the poor the face of God by act of care, concern and consolation. Amen.

“There is always a difference between, keeping poison and being poisoned. The pharmacists almost all keep poisons, to make use of them in different circumstances. But they are not for that matter poisoned because they do not have poison in their bodies but only in their shops. So too you can own riches without being poisoned by them.”  (St. Francis de Sales, IDL, Part III, Ch. 14, p. 182)

God bless us all…

Live Jesus