November 6, 2010
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? Luke 16:11-12
Piety
Prayer of repentance by Carol Penner
Even in the small schemes of our lives
there are times when we come upon the big mess,
which we may or may not have caused.
The challenges given, the first shots fired,
volleys of words thrown like grenades,
the bodies prone, the revenge promised…
war even on the tiniest scale wreaks havoc
and rejects consolation through the years.
The fog of war never completely lifts
but the casualties are completely clear.
Trust and innocence blown to smithereens,
hope sidelined in the trenches
with bitterness like a rat
gnawing on grudges.
Jesus, make it stop. Give us imagination
to see relationships restored,
forgiveness offered,
good will renewed;
give us vision to see this battlefield transformed.
We long for a field of winter wheat
green after the fiercest season,
friends embracing enemies,
an armistice to the cold war—
a white flag in the spring of peace.
Study
What exactly is true wealth? Who can define it? Sun Trust will not be able to answer that. The banking company will not even be able to tell you what “solid” ground you can rest upon. Only the Son in who you trust can provide what you seek. As St. Paul reminds us, God will “fully supply whatever you need.”
Perhaps your mailbox will not bear that out. If it is anything like ours, each day brings new advertisements, catalogs and flyers trying to get us to put our trust in the Duluth Trading Company, Levenger, or Best Buy. However, the best buy we can make does not involve money.
The psalmist reminds us of the measures of a person who fears (respects) the Lord. That person will fear nothing else just like St. Paul was able to function well if he were fed well or if he was hungry. “I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” Philippians 4:12-13
Action
A reminder from the Just Faith newsletter and the U.S. bishops:
Have you checked to make sure your parish is planning to participate in the collection in support of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)? In most dioceses, this collection is held on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Collection weekend provides an opportunity to educate your parish about poverty in the U.S. and to help sustain the good work of CCHD to address its causes.
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/collections.shtml
For over 43.6 million Americans, there is a thin line: between eviction and home, between hunger and health, between unemployment and work, between anxiety and stability. This line is the Poverty Line.
For a family of four, that line is $21,834 a year*. In 2009 that figure rose to 39.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence. You are essential to its success. Your generous donations will give those in poverty the support they need to make lasting changes.
