Providence solidarity and love of money

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate how we might become more vulnerable, generous and trusting in Providence.

Home to a tradition of trust in Providence

The Letter of Paul to the Philippians recognizes how thankful Paul is for the generous support he has received from this community.

* [4:10–20] Paul, more directly than anywhere else in the letter (cf. Phil 1:3–5), here thanks the Philippians for their gift of money sent through Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25). Paul’s own policy was to be self-sufficient as a missionary, supporting himself by his own labor (1 Thes 2:5–9; 1 Cor 9:15–18; cf. Acts 18:2–3). In spite of this reliance on self and on God to provide (Phil 4:11–13) Paul accepted gifts from the Philippians not only once but more than once (Phil 4:16) when he was in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–9), as he does now, in prison (my distress, Phil 4:14). While commercial terms appear in the passage, like an account of giving and receiving (Phil 4:15) and received full payment (Phil 4:18), Paul is most concerned about the spiritual growth of the Philippians (10, 17, 19); he emphasizes that God will care for their needs, through Christ.

The psalmist paints a picture of the peace of the righteous man.

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus teaches the wise use of material resources, in contrast to the slavery of the Pharisees to wealth.

* [16:13] The third conclusion is a general statement about the incompatibility of serving God and being a slave to riches. To be dependent upon wealth is opposed to the teachings of Jesus who counseled complete dependence on the Father as one of the characteristics of the Christian disciple (Lk 12:22–39). God and mammon: see note on Lk 16:9. Mammon is used here as if it were itself a god.

Mary Lee Brock is inspired by today’s readings to ask herself in prayer:  When do I show generosity in service to God? How can I share the many blessings in my life?

In today’s gospel from Luke, Jesus challenges us, and the Pharisees, about our relationship to money.  While money can be necessary to provide for our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, we can so easily become disordered in our relationship to money.  Money can very easily become “what I find hard to give away.” Sure it can be easy to give money away to important causes or to delight my young adult daughters with a treat.  But if I am honest with myself, as the exercise in the workshop was inviting me to be, I can cling to money out of a fear that manifests as a lack of trust in God’s love.

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mammon is the Hebrew word for 'riches,' just as in Punic the word for 'profit' is mammon. What are we to do? What did the Lord command? 'Make yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, so that they too, when you begin to fail, may receive you into eternal shelters.' It is easy, of course, to understand that we must give alms and a helping hand to the needy, because Christ receives it in them... We can understand that we have to give alms and that we must not really pick and choose to whom we give them, because we are unable to sift through people's hearts. When you give alms to all different types of people, then you will reach a few who deserve them. You are hospitable, and you keep your house ready for strangers. Let in the unworthy, in case the worthy might be excluded. You cannot be a judge and sifter of hearts." (excerpt from Sermon 359A.11-12)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 16:9-15 notes that in the context of today’s whole Gospel passage, we can see that Jesus considers money to be a very small matter.

In a practical sense, this means that money fits into the bigger picture of Christian living. As with anything else that God gives us, money is something we can use as a means to a greater end. By being careful in our spending and saving habits, we can use it as a tool to glorify the Lord. We are more free to donate to organizations that build his kingdom. At the same time, by guarding against the temptation to value money too much, we don’t let it become a snare that can draw us away from Jesus.

Friar Jude Winkler explains that the Philippians sent money for Paul in prison where he needed some sustenance and in Thessalonika too. The bashfulness of Paul resonates with our difficulty, at times, in being a gracious recipient. Friar Jude recommends that we live a life of detachment from what we have or do not have as we do the best that we can.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that God cannot be known by thinking but only by experiencing and loving. We are invited to explore the theme of God’s Love in our lived experience through a practice featuring ecstatic dance.

A Post by Franciscan Media is a reflection inspired by the life of Pope Leo the Great (440 to 461).

At a time when there is widespread criticism of Church structures, we also hear criticism that bishops and priests—indeed, all of us—are too preoccupied with administration of temporal matters. Pope Leo is an example of a great administrator who used his talents in areas where spirit and structure are inseparably combined: doctrine, peace, and pastoral care. He avoided an “angelism” that tries to live without the body, as well as the “practicality” that deals only in externals.

The Collect Prayer for today summarizes our desire to live in the pursuit of Truth and in Peace with all.

O God, who never allow the gates of hell to prevail against your Church, firmly founded on the apostolic rock, grant her, we pray, that through the intercession of Pope Saint Leo, she may stand firm in your truth and know the protection of lasting peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

References

(n.d.). Philippians chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/philippians/4
(n.d.). Luke chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/16
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved November 10, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). The Word Among Us. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://wau.org/
(n.d.). Saint of the Day – Franciscan Media. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/source/saint-of-the-day/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
(n.d.). Memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor - November 10, 2018 .... Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?id=315