Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

What is Social Justice?  Our readings last week gave us a basic understanding, first with a warning about our fate based on how we treat others, especially the poor.  Not only will the Lord remember how we treat the poor, but in our Gospel he reminded us that we must be honest stewards, both of others and the message of the Gospel.  This week our readings give us a warning of what will become of us should we not heed the cry of those in need: The Word for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time Amos 6:1a, 4-7 Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Luke 16:19-31 We open with another passage from Amos, our fiery Southern prophet giving a warning to those who have become complacent.  The imagery Amos uses speaks of excessive wealth, and while taking a jab at David, foretells of what will happen (and did happen) if they don’t change their ways.  It is a stinging indictment that is very much relevant today as we see an increasing disparity between rich and poor in our contemporary world.

At the heart of the Mosaic Law is this idea that we, the people of God, need to protect those who are in need:  The poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner.  These were those individuals who traditionally have no rights under the Law because they have no property (since inheritance of the land was reserved for the patriarchy).  God not only taught that we needed to love our neighbor, but that we need to go out of our way to make sure even those who have the least are loved and protected. The Word for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Amos 8:4-7 Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Luke 16:1-13 (or 16:10-13) We open with a reading from the prophet Amos – and if there ever were an example of fiery prophetic rage and divine justice, it’s Amos.  A Southern prophet during the height of the Jewish kingdoms (some 150 years before the Exile), Amos is a shepherd by trade but was called, somewhat reluctantly, by God to the life of a prophet and to rail against the injustice and hypocris

As Christians we must never underestimate the power and importance of forgiveness.  But forgiveness is a two-way street:  We must seek it for ourselves as we much offer it to others.  Our readings for this Sunday highlight some of the best examples of forgiveness that we are meant to emulate: The Word for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-32 (or 15:1-10) Our first reading from the book of Exodus shows us God as extremely angry against the Israelites, who he sees as having turned their back to him by worshiping a golden calf.  Moses, however, using God’s own words in his argument, is able to talk him down, revealing God’s ever-present offer of forgiveness.  God relents from destroying the Israelites, showing us that a God who can wield great power can also show great mercy.  This is the God who protects us, even though we may stray.  All we need to do is ask the Lord for mercy, as we hear in our Psalm as we sin

“For everything there is a price.”  This idea is so ancient and so well known that there’s no one person to whom this quote or idea can be attributed.  In fact, it’s an idea that’s been built into our human nature and human condition.  Put another way, there’s always trade-offs to be made when we have to make decisions.  We can’t have our cake and eat it too, and those who think otherwise are fooling themselves.  When we elect to follow Christ, not only to accept Jesus as our savior but to adopt the Christian way of life, there is a cost.  Our readings this week remind us that following the way of Jesus is not going to be easy: The Word for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Wisdom 9:13-18b Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17 Philemon 1:9-10, 12-17 Luke 14:25-33 Our first reading comes from the book of Wisdom, a work that dates back to some 50 years before Christ.  Given its date and origins, we can consider this to be a contemporary work for Jesus and his Apostles.  Like last week’s first r