“You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Mammon is made in reference to money and possessions. We can take money and entrust it to something or we can place our trust in money to the point that we elevate it to being nothing less then another God. There is only one God who manifests Himself in three Divine Persons and thus money nor possessions can ever reach that level. In the end they will always fall way short of such a reality.
Money and possessions are not the problem. Our Gospel is not telling us to get rid of everything that we own in order to embrace a vow of poverty. What is the problem is that point in time when we elevate such things to the level of God. Money and possessions can only assure us of so much in this life. There will never come a point in time when one will have enough money or possessions in order to avoid something like death. Money and possessions have their limitations and can never become an end to themself.
In the Western world we are always being bombarded with images that tell us the opposite. This imagery does not come out and blatantly tell us that God is to be replaced by such objects, but the subtle message is there. There are many who live their life not to give thanks, honor, and praise to God, but to live this life building up a pursuit of worldly luxury. These individuals have replaced God with money and possessions.
Sunday is a day in which we are called upon to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Nevertheless, there are those who do not make the time in order to be here. For them they have other worldly pursuits which seem to be more important. In the carrying out of such pursuits God becomes more and more pushed off to the side as the worldly is elevated to an equal if not something that is greater than God.
Prior to where our Gospel picks up the Lord tell us, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” This should serve as an examination of our own conscience. Where is our treasure? Hopefully all that we do is directed towards God. Hopefully nothing that we do takes the place of Him within this life.
Sin seeps into our life and it erodes this relationship with God which should exist. Through sin we elevate our worldly passions and push God away. Our Epistle documents a list of these realities and warns us, “You shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh: for the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another.” This is exactly what is taking place when we elevate our passions in a disordered and unhealthy way.
This day let us place our trust in the mercy of God. Let us desire to deserve Him alone by the way in which we come to live and order our life on this earth. Let us be free because our life is lived for God and His commands.
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.