Timothy teaches

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer cautions against teaching and learning life styles which are incompatible with the method and content of Jesus mission. The psalmist addresses the inadequacy and intimidation we may feel from the power of the wealth of others. This power from riches and privilege is very temporary. We understand, as the psalmist declares, that we cannot take it with us to the life after death. In fact, as the Gospel proclaims in many places, we cannot take it if we accept the invitation of Jesus to full Life now. The actions of accumulation of wealth, property, power threaten to drive our ego and result in the consequences of envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among our community. We are well advised by the author of this letter to Timothy that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some of the women who accompanied Jesus are mentioned today in the Gospel of Luke. Father Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. guides us through an historical portrait, The Truth About Jesus and Women, which allows us to appreciate the amazing role of the women in Jesus life, especially Mother Mary, in being the consistent and strong support of His mission according to the Will of God. The role of believers in relation to society primarily is to be Christ in the life we live. Our faith and trust in God will see that the Spirit is available to us to act according to the Will of God in relation to structures and practices, like those encountered by Timothy in the first reading, which need the influence of Love to be transformed.