The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to apply our experience of Grace to act against inequality and greed.
Prison of possessions
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians describes the journey from Death to Life.
* [2:1–10] The recipients of Paul’s letter have experienced, in their redemption from transgressions and sins, the effect of Christ’s supremacy over the power of the devil (Eph 2:1–2; cf. Eph 6:11–12), who rules not from the netherworld but from the air between God in heaven and human beings on earth. Both Jew and Gentile have experienced, through Christ, God’s free gift of salvation that already marks them for a future heavenly destiny (Eph 2:3–7). The language dead, raised us up, and seated us…in the heavens closely parallels Jesus’ own passion and Easter experience. The terms in Eph 2:8–9 describe salvation in the way Paul elsewhere speaks of justification: by grace, through faith, the gift of God, not from works; cf. Gal 2:16–21; Rom 3:24–28. Christians are a newly created people in Christ, fashioned by God for a life of goodness (Eph 2:10).1
Psalm 100 exhorts all lands to praise God.
* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus addresses greed in the parable of the Rich Fool.
* [12:13–34] Luke has joined together sayings contrasting those whose focus and trust in life is on material possessions, symbolized here by the rich fool of the parable (Lk 12:16–21), with those who recognize their complete dependence on God (Lk 12:21), those whose radical detachment from material possessions symbolizes their heavenly treasure (Lk 12:33–34).* [12:21] Rich in what matters to God: literally, “rich for God.”3
Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that the Gospel offers a parable that presents us with some good questions about our possessions. It is easy enough to understand and difficult enough to pray and ponder. (The Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs is celebrated in Canada on Sept 26).
This Gospel-story needs little explanation, but much consideration of a very important invitation. The wheat-wealthy fellow received the crop from the earth as a gift and he took it as his own. Gifts are meant not to be “bumpers”, but received in preparation to be shared. Getting is about me. Receiving is about allowing it to be a gift to others. Car-bumprs are for defense, bumper-crops are abundance unconfined, but readied for generous distribution. What we receive is not our definition, but our availability.4
Don Schwager quotes “Surrounded by wealth, blind to charity,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"'What does the rich man do, surrounded by a great supply of many blessings beyond all numbering? In distress and anxiety, he speaks the words of poverty. He says, 'What should I do?' ... He does not look to the future. He does not raise his eyes to God. He does not count it worth his while to gain for the mind those treasures that are above in heaven. He does not cherish love for the poor or desire the esteem it gains. He does not sympathize with suffering. It gives him no pain nor awakens his pity. Still more irrational, he settles for himself the length of his life, as if he would also reap this from the ground. He says, 'I will say to myself, "Self, you have goods laid up for many years. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself." 'O rich man,' one may say, "You have storehouses for your fruits, but where will you receive your many years? By the decree of God, your life is shortened." 'God,' it tells us, 'said to him, "You fool, this night they will require of you your soul. Whose will these things be that you have prepared?" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 89)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 2:1-10 comments that God cares about our everyday decisions, but his central desire is to bring us into his presence and fill us with his life and his love. The specifics we tend to be preoccupied with are only part of this bigger goal. Our first reading today can help us see this big picture.
God’s plan is always for our salvation. It is always to bring us to life in Christ, even when sin has cut us off from him, even when we are following the ways of the world and our own desires (Ephesians 2:4-5). That’s because God is rich in mercy and lovingly raises us up to life with Christ (2:6). He makes it possible for us to live in faith so that his deepest desire—our becoming like Christ—can unfold.6
Friar Jude Winkler shares that the gift of faith from God is something we have to respond to. The author of Ephesians uses the term “saved” rather than “justified” most frequently used by Paul. Friar Jude cites response to destruction by wildfires as an example to trust completely in God.
Cynthia Bourgeault was a close friend and colleague of Father Thomas Keating. Over the past year, she has devoted much time to studying and praying with the eight poems offered in The Secret Embrace. These poems offer an intimate window into the last stage of Thomas’ own spiritual journey, as he emerged fully into what he liked to call “unity consciousness.” Others might call it “non-dual realization,” “the unitive state,” or oneness.
Thomas draws on the metaphor of journeying into the unknown, which has pressing relevance for our own world just now. In this season of planetary upheaval, Thomas’ courageous spiritual work has deep wisdom to offer us as we begin to wrap our collective hearts around what is required next. However far any one of us is destined to travel on this wilderness journey, learning to lean into the diminishment, to live with paradox and unknowing, and to celebrate the creativity without dissociating from the pain are all vital survival skills as we humans collectively feel our way into the new beginning.7
The gift of faith that reveals our oneness with Nature and others is an antidote to our attraction to possessions that contribute to inequality.
References
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