Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in
Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh…Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine. Ezekiel 47: 9, 12
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace. John 2:15-16
Piety
God, help us to open our hands and our hearts to the poor and needy in our land. Strengthen us so that we take only what we need and do not store up excess that could and should be available to those less fortunate. Make today the time that we do good by them. Amen.
Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/110907.shtml
“Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live.”
Whether God is providing manna in the desert or Jesus is feeding the 5,000 with the loaves and fish, the natural gifts will provide everything that we need. Fish, fruit, vegetables. Today, we see the stark contrast between that which God provides in abundance for all and the economic activity of the people who seek to acquire all that they can afford.
There is enough for everyone provided we restrain our wants and live within limits. However, for too many years, we have focused too much on the return on investment, building up our retirement accounts, and stocking the pantries of our second and third homes.
All the while, there is a growing divide between the rich and the poor. Such disparities in wealth are not “natural;” however, as a community of faith, we can mitigate it through redistribution of our resources in charity. That is one reason why the prophetic Jubilee message of the Bible is good news for the poor.
Our spiritual life pulls us in the opposite direction of market-driven capitalism. According to Ched Myers (The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics), “Discipleship means leaving behind the seductions and false securities of the capitalistic system for the economy of grace symbolized by redistribution of wealth, sharing and cooperation.”
What tables must you overturn in your life today? What is getting in the way of your ability to get close to God? Take them out of your life before Jesus has to do it himself.
Action
Where is your money working? Where have you invested that retirement nest egg? Do you know the kind of business those mutual funds are supporting? Alcohol? Gambling? Weapons production? Human rights abuses? Are those firms supported in your portfolio doing business and supporting repressive regimes in
Consider shifting some of your funds into mutual funds which support life.
· Avoid investing in companies with objectionable practices.
· Seek out companies that are operating in ways that reflect your values and priorities.
· Direct some of your investment capital to low-income communities for affordable housing and small businesses.
· Support new businesses and technologies making a positive contribution to society.
· Invest in micro-enterprise financing that supports poor people around the world as they build productive economies.
Here are two web sites which can help you learn more about the movement of socially responsible investing so that you can make a positive decision about how your money will work for the world and so you can avoid investing in companies like Enron.
· Social Investment Forum http://www.socialinvest.org/
· Social Funds http://www.socialfunds.com/
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