God's concern is always the needy

September 23, 2007 -- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Bishop Robert Morneau

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. What gifts has God given you? 2. Are those gifts used for the good of the community or just yourself? 3. How is it that many nonreligious people are more ingenious in their life's work than those who claim to be Christian?

There is a world between digging and begging. It is the world of ingenuity. By using our wits, we devise schemes to accomplish what we want. That ingenuity is ambiguous in that it is sometimes graced and is of help to others and ourselves; sometimes it is sinful in that it is used for purposes of exploitation or manipulation.

The prophet Amos attacks the ingenuity of those who cheat the poor and trample on the needy. These "ingenious" folks fix prices, do inside trading, put their finger on the scale while weighing meat. They buy low and sell high at the expense of others. The Lord does not forget these matters, claims the prophet. God's concern is always with the poor and needy.

St. Paul was an ingenious person. He was intelligent, committed, and energetic. Early on in his religious formation and practice, that ingenuity did not serve him well. He persecuted the Church of Jesus and did so with a vengeance. Going from house to house, he sought out the infidel Christians and had them imprisoned. But after the experience on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Now his vision and commitment was focused on the person of Jesus and the mission of reconciliation. St. Paul came to know Christ as his Savior and Lord. This apostle to the Gentiles ventured forth to preach the message of God's love and mercy with great boldness, even to the point of death. Now his ingenuity served him well.

What an ingenious fellow we have in the Gospel. Here is the non-digger; here is the non-beggar. To avoid exertion of the shovel and to escape the embarrassment of standing on the street corner with a tin cup, he devised a plan to ingratiate himself with folks whom he would help by immorally reducing their debts. At the end of this story we hear the surprising line: "And the master commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently."

What all this means is that the talents, blessings, and gifts that God bestows upon us creatures can be used for good or ill. What is disturbing is that so many individuals who have no concern for God and the Kingdom seem to be so clever and energetic in achieving goals of self-interest while so many who claim to be disciples of the Lord fail to exert energy in attaining the things of God. To commend a thief for achieving his goals is not to commend the act but rather to note how individuals work hard for their own benefit. Would that all of us who claim to be Gospel people be so "ingenious."

Flannery O'Connor makes two comments about gifts that relate to the life of Amos, St. Paul, the steward in the Gospel (and, indeed, to all of us): "A gift of any kind is a considerable responsibility." And, "One has to think not only of the gifts that have ended in art or near it, but of gifts gone astray and of those never used."

Amos used his gifts as a prophet to articulate God's concerns for justice; St. Paul used his gifts to guide people in the way of Jesus; the steward in the Gospel used his gifts for his own benefit.

One last parting word from Jon Sobrino: "Spiritual gifts are worthless in themselves unless they help to build up the community and are inspired by authentic love."

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Green Bay Diocese and pastor of Resurrection Parish in Allouez.)