A few words from our old friend Amos…the prophet Amos was outraged and ashamed of how the poor and foreigners were being treated by the people of Israel. He condemned them for human trafficking and cruelty to the poor. He warned that God would punish them for their selfishness and obsession with becoming rich. Jesus also took up the topic of being obsessed with the accumulation of wealth…particularly when others were in such great need. Jesus warns us that we need to be “wholeheartedly” devoted to God and if we divide our heart between God and money we will lose out in the end.
Now the reality is that we all have to be concerned with making a living and providing for ourselves and our families. But how much is enough? At what point does “making a living” become “getting rich” and then begin to take over our thoughts and become the measure of the success of our lives? Being rich is not a sin…it is what we do or don’t do with what we have that can be sinful. Keeping God at the center of our lives will help us decide how to use what we have and with whom to share our wealth. It seems the Gospel is calling us to reflect on our relationship to our “stuff” and our relationship to God and others.
How much of my “stuff” really matters to me? Would I feel freer if I had less stuff? When was the last time I talked to God about how I share my time, money and talent with others, especially the poor,the marginalized and the immigrant and migrant? What would the prophet Amos and Jesus have to say to us today about the humanitarian crisis at our southern border today?
Blessings,
Fr Tim
Now the reality is that we all have to be concerned with making a living and providing for ourselves and our families. But how much is enough? At what point does “making a living” become “getting rich” and then begin to take over our thoughts and become the measure of the success of our lives? Being rich is not a sin…it is what we do or don’t do with what we have that can be sinful. Keeping God at the center of our lives will help us decide how to use what we have and with whom to share our wealth. It seems the Gospel is calling us to reflect on our relationship to our “stuff” and our relationship to God and others.
How much of my “stuff” really matters to me? Would I feel freer if I had less stuff? When was the last time I talked to God about how I share my time, money and talent with others, especially the poor,the marginalized and the immigrant and migrant? What would the prophet Amos and Jesus have to say to us today about the humanitarian crisis at our southern border today?
Blessings,
Fr Tim
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