Righteousness and Riches

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to consider the themes in society that lead us away from using our time, treasure, and talent for the benefit of others in need.

Riches and Righteousness 

The reading from the Book of Judges presents the cyclical pattern that characterized the relationship of the Israelites with God.

* [2:10–19] This long thematic passage establishes the cyclical pattern for the stories found in the rest of the book. When the Israelites are secure, they forsake the Lord and worship other gods. In punishment the Lord places them in the power of a foreign oppressor. But when they cry out in distress, the Lord takes pity on them and raises up a judge, who delivers them from the oppressor. The Israelites remain faithful to the Lord during the lifetime of the judge, but when the judge dies they again abandon the Lord, and the cycle begins anew.

* [2:11] The Baals: the title “Baal,” meaning “lord” or “master,” belonged to a large number of Canaanite, Phoenician, and Syrian deities, including especially the great storm god Hadad Baal, widely revered as lord of the earth. The plural form, which occurs here, was used by the biblical writers to refer to foreign gods in general.

* [2:13] The Astartes: Ashtoreth, or Astarte, was an important Canaanite and Phoenician goddess. The plural form used here probably refers to foreign goddesses in general. (Judges, CHAPTER 2|USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 106 invites Israel to praise God.

* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Ps 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. (Psalms, PSALM 106 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus advises the Rich Young Man.

* [19:16–30] Cf. Mk 10:17–31. This story does not set up a “two-tier” morality, that of those who seek (only) eternal life (Mt 19:16) and that of those who wish to be perfect (Mt 19:21). It speaks rather of the obstacle that riches constitute for the following of Jesus and of the impossibility, humanly speaking, for one who has many possessions (Mt 19:22) to enter the kingdom (Mt 19:24). Actual renunciation of riches is not demanded of all; Matthew counts the rich Joseph of Arimathea as a disciple of Jesus (Mt 27:57). But only the poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) can enter the kingdom and, as here, such poverty may entail the sacrifice of one’s possessions. The Twelve, who have given up everything (Mt 19:27) to follow Jesus, will have as their reward a share in Jesus’ (the Son of Man’s) judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt 19:28), and all who have similarly sacrificed family or property for his sake will inherit eternal life (Mt 19:29).

* [19:16] Gain eternal life: this is equivalent to “entering into life” (Mt 19:17) and “being saved” (Mt 19:25); the life is that of the new age after the final judgment (see Mt 25:46). It probably is also equivalent here to “entering the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:23) or “the kingdom of God” (Mt 19:24), but see notes on Mt 3:2; 4:17; 18:1 for the wider reference of the kingdom in Matthew.

* [19:17] By Matthew’s reformulation of the Marcan question and reply (Mk 10:17–18) Jesus’ repudiation of the term “good” for himself has been softened. Yet the Marcan assertion that “no one is good but God alone” stands, with only unimportant verbal modification.

* [19:18–19] The first five commandments cited are from the Decalogue (see Ex 20:12–16; Dt 5:16–20). Matthew omits Mark’s “you shall not defraud” (Mk 10:19; see Dt 24:14) and adds Lv 19:18. This combination of commandments of the Decalogue with Lv 19:18 is partially the same as Paul’s enumeration of the demands of Christian morality in Rom 13:9.

* [19:20] Young man: in Matthew alone of the synoptics the questioner is said to be a young man; thus the Marcan “from my youth” (Mk 10:20) is omitted.

* [19:21] If you wish to be perfect: to be perfect is demanded of all Christians; see Mt 5:48. In the case of this man, it involves selling his possessions and giving to the poor; only so can he follow Jesus. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Hopp comments that in today’s Gospel, Jesus provides us with further insight into the question of “how do we live our lives for our Lord”.

So - is it really possible to give our lives over completely to our Lord and Savior and to live for Him? I do not believe Jesus was baiting the young man – or us – with the impossible. The young man was likely a fairly “good” individual, at least in the eyes of the world. Yet Jesus saw past the young man’s outward image and gazed into his heart.

Thinking we are pretty “good” just will not cut it. It is only through surrendering our heart completely to Jesus that we can look forward to eternal life with Him. Jesus knew that even when we have given our heart to Him, we would still stumble – that is why He gave himself up for us on the cross. Such love is incomprehensible – the best reason of all for surrendering our heart completely to our gracious Lord and Savior.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to avoid the lies and temptations of this world and to keep my eyes and heart focused continually and completely upon my precious Lord and Savior. 

In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen. (Hopp, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality - and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever." (excerpt from Sermon 84,1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Judges 2:11-19 comments that the stories in the Book of Judges show us what happens when we lose sight of the life God calls us to live.

None of us have to feel trapped in a downward spiral of sin—neither us nor any of our loved ones. Jesus’ hand is always outstretched, ready to lift us up. His Spirit is always ready to pour God’s love into us. Every sin can be forgiven. Every broken heart can be mended. Jesus, our Lord, has saved us!

“Jesus, Lord of the covenant, thank you for rescuing me!” (Meditation on Judges 2:11-19, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. Judges one of two books speaking of the conquest. In Joshua, triumphant Israel is portrayed and here the people turn to Baal, god of fertility and rain and abandon worship of Yahweh. The people called upon God to return to them and “judges” assisted the people to be faithful. Judges were called charismatically and would rescue the people temporarily. A Young Man seeks to inherit eternal life. Jesus calls him to perfection in the context of the “Shema Israel” where possessions are linked to our strength. Friar Jude reminds us that we need perspective on the role of wealth and be as generous as possible.

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, suggests how we might honor our emotions without overly attaching to them. Emotions are, first of all, a gift from God so that we can touch reality by a way other than our brain.   

Pastor Peter Scazzero affirms that our emotions are central to our humanity and to our relationships with God and people.

To feel is to be human. To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others, and ourselves well. Why? Because our feelings are a component of what it means to be made in the image of God. To cut them out of our spirituality is to slice off an essential part of our humanity. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

Father Richard considers the risk of overemphasizing the importance of our feelings:  

Because emotions were so repressed and denied and thought to be always faulty, it’s probably one of the major reasons we moved into overly heady Christianity. We’re rediscovering the value of emotions now, but this has the danger of swinging the pendulum to the other side—assuming that emotions are always right, always good. But when taken at face value, emotions don’t have any cognitive balancing. We aren’t asking “Is that a sensible response? Is that a reasonable response?” So, we have a lot of sentimentality and drama, the pumping up of emotions about nothing. We spend hours creating outer dramas, particularly when there’s no inner drama, no inner aliveness or contentment. Inside the frame of the smaller self, we tend to make everything a big deal. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the distractions and attractions in our environment today that propose life styles that put our success and aggrandizement as a priority over the care, compassion, and mercy modelled by Jesus for fullness of life.

References

Hopp, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-19-2019 

Judges, CHAPTER 2|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judges/2?11 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19?16 

Meditation on Judges 2:11-19. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/?utm_content=buffer5c902&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

Psalms, PSALM 106 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/106?34 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-gift-for-experiencing-reality/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Give - and You Will Have Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug18 

Treasure and Time

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the real treasure that shines in the love of God and people in our lives.

Treasure near the field

The reading from the Book of Exodus presents the Radiance of Moses’ Face.

Psalm 99 declares Holy is the Lord our God.

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims More Parables on finding the Kingdom.

Jeanne Schuler urges us to delight in the treasure that lasts.

Don Schwager quotes “Finding the pearl of great price,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

"Now among the words of all kinds that profess to announce truth, and among those who report them, he seeks pearls. Think of the prophets as, so to speak, the pearls that receive the dew of heaven and become pregnant with the word of truth from heaven. They are goodly pearls that, according to the phrase here set forth, the merchant seeks. And the chief of the pearls, on the finding of which the rest are found with it, is the very costly pearl, the Christ of God, the Word that is superior to the precious letters and thoughts in the law and the prophets. When one finds this pearl all the rest are easily released. Suppose, then, that one is not a disciple of Christ. He possesses no pearls at all, much less the very costly pearl, as distinguished from those that are cloudy or darkened." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 18.8)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that The Law Is Insufficient.

We are nudged by the Spirit to use our experience of treasure in the sacred to activate our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader to serve the needs of the people in our environment.

Strength and Joy in Weakness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to consider and act in response to the paradox that our witness of joy in our struggles strengthens our relationship with Christ and the people in our environment.

Struggle and Joy

The Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians presents Paul’s boast about his Labours and his Weakness.

* [11:16–12:10] Paul now accepts the challenge of his opponents and indulges in boasting similar to theirs, but with differences that he has already signaled in 2 Cor 10:12–18 and that become clearer as he proceeds. He defines the nature of his project and unmistakably labels it as folly at the beginning and the end (2 Cor 11:16–23; 12:11). Yet his boast does not spring from ignorance (2 Cor 11:21; 12:6) nor is it concerned merely with human distinctions (2 Cor 11:18). Paul boasts “in moderation” (2 Cor 10:13, 15) and “in the Lord” (2 Cor 10:17).

* [11:16–29] The first part of Paul’s boast focuses on labors and afflictions, in which authentic service of Christ consists. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 34 implores us to trust in God alone.

* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents our Treasure in Heaven and The Light of the Body.

* [6:19–34] The remaining material of this chapter is taken almost entirely from Q. It deals principally with worldly possessions, and the controlling thought is summed up in Mt 6:24: the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth (mammon). See further the note on Lk 16:9.

* [6:22–23] In this context the parable probably points to the need for the disciple to be enlightened by Jesus’ teaching on the transitory nature of earthly riches. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jay Car­ney comments that part of him wish­es Paul would pipe down, keep a “stiff upper lip,” and stop whin­ing about his tra­vails (or to echo one of my teenage chil­dren, “Paul, stop being so salty”!) How­ev­er, his dis­com­fort risks occlud­ing one of the most impor­tant dimen­sions of Paul’s wit­ness. For although he came out of an hon­or-shame cul­ture, Paul is remark­ably open about shar­ing his vul­ner­a­bil­i­ties. He even argues that these weak­ness­es enable him to receive and reflect Christ’s sav­ing grace – some­thing the “spir­i­tu­al­ly strong” strug­gle with through­out Paul’s letters.

As a mid­dle-class Amer­i­can schol­ar, I admire but do not share Paul’s phys­i­cal and eco­nom­ic depri­va­tions. But like all human beings, I have lim­i­ta­tions, vul­ner­a­bil­i­ties, gaps, and weak­ness­es, some of which I would pre­fer to ignore, down­play, or deny. Like Paul, can I not only admit these, but see Christ’s trans­for­ma­tive grace shin­ing through them? (Carney, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Seeking the right intention,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For 'love is the fulfillment of the law'(Romans 13:10). Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression 'whole body,' Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our 'members.' 'Therefore,' Paul writes, 'mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness' (Colossians 3:5), and all other such things." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.13.45) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23 asks what are some of these heavenly treasures?

Take our identity as a child of God: The all-powerful eternal Creator invites us to live as his son or daughter for all eternity! … Or ponder God’s amazing gift of forgiveness: In Jesus, God offers pardon for every sin, for all time. No accusations need stand against us… Finally, consider the eternal goodness of human love: In our relationships with our family and friends, we experience a glimpse of the divine love that is the source and completion of all human love.

These are just a few treasures that will last. When we place our hope in them, we are storing up treasures that will keep us focused on Christ here and now—and that will fill us with eternal joy in heaven. And as we treasure the things of eternity, we will find their source, our Father, who made them.

“Lord, help me set my sights on things above and treasure what truly matters.” (Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that 2 Corinthians continues as part of the “angry letter” response to accusations of being an inferior preacher. He shares his suffering and willingness to die to self as an essential quality of a minister. The Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount implores us to store spiritual not material treasures and depend on things that last. Friar Jude notes that the eye is presented as a window into the soul in this very dualistic passage that directs us to follow Christ, the Light of the World, and avoid things that will drag us down in our mind.

Barbara Holmes describes how we can find joy through practice and surrender. She asks how do we foster embodied presence and joy? 

I believe we do it through practice and through meditation. Left to your own devices, the natural state of the human brain is a wandering and critical mind. Meditation helps bring that chaos into a more peaceful state. If it’s difficult, begin with sitting in silence. Let your mind do what it wants before slowly bringing it into the present moment. Use music if it helps. The second thing I would suggest is to awaken to the joy in nature. Purposely pay attention to sunsets and sunrises, to the sounds of nature, and other expressions of joy in the environment. Third, I would suggest that you develop an appreciation for the everyday graces, the sound of children playing, the traffic that won’t let us get home when we want to but allows a pause in our frenetic going. (Holmes, n.d.)

We seek the consolation and guidance of the Spirit to inform our desire to transform our suffering and weakness to testimony to the Love and Providence of God.

References

Carney, J. (2025, June 20). Daily Reflection June 20, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-20-2025 

Holmes, B. (n.d.). Pathways to Joy. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/pathways-to-joy/ 

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?19 

Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/20/1309798/ 

Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lay up Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun20 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 20, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/11?18