On His Shoulders

November 6, 2008

Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
[I]n zeal I persecuted the church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless. (But) whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. Philippians 3:6-7

What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' Luke 15:3-6

Piety
Let us pray: Jesus we know that the heavens will rejoice when we re-turn toward God and away from our addictions and afflictions. Help us to achieve this re-orientation because the only way we will do it is on your shoulders. We know we can not do it alone. Amen.

Study

Loss. An interesting concept to ponder the day after the election and the month after the stock market suffered its worst losses in history. Luke metaphorically equates the loss of a gold coin to the loss of a sinner. This is an interesting comparison in light of the world financial and credit crisis.

This week’s edition of the National Catholic Register has an interesting series of articles considering the collapse of the economy. The article, “Sins of the Wallet,” quotes Pope Benedict XVI on the topic saying that the crisis shows the importance of building our lives on the firm foundation of the word of God. “We see it now in the fall of the great banks,” the Pope said. “This money disappears; it is nothing — and in the same way, all these things, which lack a true reality to depend on, and are elements of a second order.”

Fr. Robert Siricio expands upon the Pope’s thoughts in his essay:

I’m not sure that any aspect of Catholic social teaching can be cited in the defense of such large-scale bailouts that jeopardize even larger sectors of society. During a crisis, there is a tendency to turn toward state power to provide us with answers. We will all regret this. We need to use this time to pull back and remember what is truly important, which is not wealth but prayer, detachment and redemption. Paper profits evaporate, but institutions like the family and Church and disciplines like charity and prayer and critical rights and freedoms have lasting value. This crisis is not a failure of the truth of freedom, but a failure of many forms of deception. If we cling to what is true, we will make it through.

An article in the series by Mark and Louise Zwick (founders of Casa Juan Diego and editors of the Houston Catholic Worker) also reflected on the situation. They note, “For believers, our economics has been upside down. More of the same is not the answer. We would do better with the logic of the Gospel, Catholic social teaching and the lives of the saints.”

Jesus does not want us literally or physically to look for all the gold coins we lost in the recent “market meltdown.” However, when we remove that piece of lumber in our eyes, perhaps it will be easier to see the needs of the poor.

Luke has the last word today: In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10.

Action
How can you set the angels rejoicing?

Author Frank Hanna offered on solution. “Each of us, in our own little worlds, cannot ‘fix’ the global financial crisis; but we can reorient ourselves to God, and we can work to exercise prudence and temperance and serve as a living example to others.”

The Zwicks noted that “Jesus said his Gospel is not about building bigger barns (or bigger banks). It is about giving rather than receiving.” Like the Prodigal Son returning home, what are you doing to set things right in your life? How will you re-orient your life so you are not “upside down” – away from storing up treasures on earth to better store up treasures in heaven?
• Making more modest retirement plans?
• Giving more to charity?
• Using less energy?
• Adjusting your household budget down so you spend and consume less?