Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

cannot serv God and Mammon

serve not have

most have some wealth

from pennies to fortunes

question (unless you are called to life of monk or nun) how deal with wealth, not whether we have it

Money stuff/gear/materials to build a house

All placed on plot of land, some on tough parts, others on better parts

we builders, God neighborhood developer

all given different materials one neighborhood

trucks in more mats

expects based on what given.

talents

resources

plot of land

God give to build community

use as we know should, developer happy

widow vs millionare donation

But many ways to us these building materials

many ways deal with wealth.

How are we managing our construction materials?

How treat wealth

soon developer check on work of us his builders

the time for inspection is not far off

how dealt with wealth have a holy death or not

what do with materials you have been given?

-Just our house

use all the on our house?

fine spend some wealth on self, after all each builder is expected and best able to work on their own house first and foremost

self and family are best cared by closest, not some distant stranger.

principle of subsidiarity.

after all it doesnt make a lot of sense for far off.

Yet, when you see your next door neighbor struggling...think the developer happy with a great grand mansion and completely ignoring your next door neighbors sorry little house that he built?

universal destination of goods

the materials you’ve been given, your wealth, etc, not U

stewards of our property given by God, developer

most of us contributed to getting money

but even the health, will, and intelligence to do so are gift of God, all which should be used properly

wants used on big picture kingdom of God, (neighborhood), not just self

God harsh words for neglect of others.

abuse wealth selfishly when

barely make expenses just because of unnecessary purchases

way more on our toys than charity

constantly thinking of the next purchase

Happiness, doesn’t consist in riches

in serving the developer’s plans, not your own house.

-Hoarding

Spend all our time trying to gather more construction materials

keep asking the developer for more

keep trying to find more

focused first on gathering wealth?

Absurd

the developer has all the material in the world, just made a big pile for him to clean up

wants creative build neighborhood in your short time on earth, not just collect the materials for it

he has all

Do this when:

judge worth by how much we make

make life about earning money

sin (violate developers plan) to get an extra buck

- useless houses

worst use of material is building a useless neighborhood

make a place that needs be torn down and replaced

neighborhood goes against the wishes of the developer

not to code, self-destructive houses, and incredibly ugly

collapse on their neighbors and self

better never built.

We do this when we use our wealth to act against God’s plan

give money to businesses or charities that primarily do evil:

racial dividers

sellers of obscene materials

abortion industry

The dangerous part about this can even look good to those building such bad neighborhoods

instead put in good things

vincent de paul

support of single mothers

orphanages

Cannot Serve God and wealth

But been entrusted with some wealth

as stewards, how use the developers materials?

when He comes kid showing art or cower and hide?

wise builder will be given to build great marvels if trustworthy with the little they now have

Notes:

Words

dishonest [adikia] is same negative word used throughout. Means unrighteous, false, iniquity

Me

if we work for earthly things as tediously and cunningly, how pathetic is our faith? [turns out commentors say this too.. Theophylact]

seeing Christ in the poor also means loving neighbor is done by loving God first

everything we have is not from us but gift

everything we have is the rich man’s promissory debt

No two masters (all is done for a purpose)

serving truth is to dispose money objectively not subjectively [theophylact no other than “indifference of a mind”]

Money as soldiers you are in command of

FATHERS + Doctors:

we are stewards of property of others (stewards of grace?)

won’t be able to work anythign else (speaks of death)

on near death gives away (but really he gives away what is the Lord’s in the first place) REFLECT

basically give poor God’s stuff so that they use God’s stuff to save u

think like “presents to patrons” rather than benefits on poor

What they give (oil and wheat) are more than prescribed to give to the Temple, meaning Christians are to exceede the scribes and pharisees.

Commie/Robbin Hood and general stealing money for the poor interpretation is bad

cite Zaccheus or bad tax collectors

Unrighteous riches prob means material wealth, because not true riches

If not faithful in little unrighteous riches how in great ones

despising God is by seeing him as burden on other desires (me: water jug again)

“cannot serve both” not “cannot have”

alms as great penance