Progress Even More

Sabato del XXI Settimana del Tempo Ordinario

On the subject of fraternal charity, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless, we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'  Matthew 25:23

Piety

Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell there.

Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy, before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, to govern the world with justice and the peoples with fairness. (Psalm 98:7-9)

Study

Opposites contrasted each other in the first reading and the Good News all week as Jesus took the scribes and Pharisees to task for what they did and did not do.  All week, we were presented with the bad and the ugly.

Jesus wrapped up the indictment of the scribes and Pharisees.  After criticizing them for shallow outward signs of piety without congruent inward piety, Jesus delivered the most damning charge of all.  He charges the scribes and Pharisees with taking part in the murder of the prophets. As children of the murderers, they share in the guilt for the crime.

By today’s Good News, Jesus is giving us examples of exercising our talents for the good and the growth of the Kingdom. This Gospel has nothing to do with money.  It is all about fulfilling – with obedience and faith – the instructions given by the Master.

Those who do what is told, and take the risks are rewarded. “Come, share your Master’s joy!”

Action

How can we make our treasure grow for those in terrible need right now in Texas and other places in the path of the storm?  How can we put a brick on the wall of a kingdom designed to love one another with justice and fairness?

In the Hurricane Harvey case and others like it, I personally eschew the national funds and seek out a local well-respected local charity in the area affected. For sheer long-term endurance with the most vulnerable, I would look at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston (https://www.catholiccharities.org/) or Lutheran Social Services of the South (https://www.upbring.org/) which includes Houston and Harris County.  Long after the big national charity vans pack up, organizations like these will be there for the long haul with direct grants to the people in need and the services the people also need to get back on their feet. 

Having lived in Houston, small lesser known charities like the Julia C. Hester House (https://juliachesterhouse.org/) walk with the poor every day. In fact, this is a charity which was home to many famous Houstonians when they were growing up.  People like Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland walked these halls at the ironically named address at 2020 Solo Street long before they walked the hallways of the Capitol Building as members of the House of Representatives.  I wonder what future leaders – or young leaders of today – are in the generation that Hester House serves as the flood waters recede and rebuilding begins?  Solo, indeed!  They cannot do it all without our help.

Although not a big fan of the behemoth charities, on the local level, a fund that local United Way organization is running will spread money around to many organizations which won’t get the publicity of the big charities.  Although I will forever call the group the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, it is now the United Way of Greater Houston and 100 percent of your gift to its fund will go to relief – a claim national funds rarely or NEVER make. (https://www.unitedwayhouston.org/flood/flood-donation).

On the animal front, the Houston Humane Society (http://www.houstonhumane.org/) is a group to explore – again go close to the ground not to the national funds if you want to do the most to help our wet but still usually furry friends.

There are many other ways to help.  Do something!  And do it this weekend if you have not already helped those affected by Harvey to progress even more back to some semblance of normal life.

PS: Ordinary time?  Indeed!