25th Sunday In Ordinary Time – Year C
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: September 22, 2019
Who do you serve? God or wealth? We have to honestly answer that question to examine our life in the presence of Jesus. What are you clinging to in your life? What do you fear to let go of, fear to lose
Hundreds of times I have been with people on their deathbed. I do not remember once where someone at that time said they wished they had more money. Not once did someone at that moment say they were concerned with how much money they had left.
At the time of death, what really matters becomes very clear. At that moment, some people want Confession, they feel the need to be forgiven, to be reconciled with God. Some feel the need to ask forgiveness of a family member or friend. They desire for reconciliation with someone when they have had a broken relationship.
Some want to receive communion, to be anointed, to hear the Word of God speaking of the love of God. Some want to tell their loved ones that they love them, to thank them. But, money is way down on the list of what matters at the moment of death. Unfortunately during our life we sometimes put it top on the list, we serve wealth, not God.
If I have money by cheating, by lying, by stealing, if I have money by exploiting employees, who am I serving?
Am I willing to cheat, to lie, for the sake of wealth? Am I willing to lose relationships with family, friends, fighting over wealth?
How do you use your money? Do you use your money to bring good to others? Can I buy my way into Heaven? If I have more money will that bring me eternal life? Does God care about how much money I have?
Serving wealth rather than God leads to great damage in our world. The great damage being done to the environment, the harm of climate change, this requires us to change our view of wealth. We need to have concern to care for our common home, this planet we live on. It will require us serving God rather than wealth. Are we willing to destroy our environment for the sake of greater wealth?
Serving wealth rather than God leads to great damage to the human family. The great damage caused by enormous inequality among people. Leaving so many in less than human conditions. Homelessness, unemployment, poverty. Are we willing to leave so many in terrible conditions for the sake of greater wealth?
Who do you serve? God or wealth? The fact is that you own nothing? The day we die we leave everything, none of it goes with us. Only love remains with us into eternity, so only what we share will remain with us into eternity.