Last week the Church admonished us to be prudent stewards with God's given blessings. This week also is a continuation on the same subject matter. However, today's message is more of series of warnings that the selfish and extravagant use of God’s blessings, like wealth, without sharing them with the poor and the needy is a serious sin deserving eternal punishment. The Sunday readings stress the Covenant responsibility of the rich for the poor, reminding us of the truth that wealth without active mercy for the poor is great wickedness. It warns us against making money the goal of our existence.

Again, we read today from the Prophet Amos, issuing a powerful warning to those who seek wealth at the expense of the poor and who spend their time and their money on themselves alone. He prophesies that those rich and self-indulgent people will be punished by God with exile because they don’t care for their poor and suffering brothers. Much consoling is from the Psalmist of today who praises Yahweh, who cares for the poor. St. Paul redirects our attention to that which matters most as he admonishes us to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” – noble goals in an age of disillusionment – rather than riches. Like Amos Jesus also gives us a warning, pointing to the destiny of the rich man who neglected his duty to show mercy to poor Lazarus. The rich man was punished, not for having riches, but for neglecting the Scriptures and what they taught on sharing his blessings with the poor.

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The greatest human value that God has blessed us with is life itself. Yes, our faith has taught us that life is far more precious than the money we have, the food we eat or the clothes we wear. This faith also has taught us the place of material things in life. That possessions are only on loan to us, and in time we must leave them all behind. Job's statement of fact in the Bible refreshes our memory about life and possessions: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”(Job 1:21). To drive this message home, the church selected these readings today to remind us that we are God’s stewards and that God expects faithful and prudent stewardship from us. They challenge us to use our God-given talents and blessings, like wealth, wisely to attain Heavenly bliss.

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It is fundamental to our Christian faith to know again and again that God loves the just but does not ignore the sinner, for whom there is always a place in his kingdom. With the amazing warmth in His Kingdom we can always hope for a new heart and a fresh start.

Today we are invited to believe in a loving, patient, merciful, forgiving God who is actively seeking out the lost, wants their repentance and rejoices when the lost are found. We are invited to believe and celebrate a God who is eager to be merciful toward us, not vengeful and punishing but will stop at nothing until everyone is back home to Him, where abundant love awaits all. This Heavenly Father wants to save everyone through His Son Jesus, whom He sent.

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”If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower,” (Luke 14 :26).

The Church is again taking us back to this unpopular theme about the cost of our loyalty to Christ our Lord. This statement above from the gospel sets a real challenge for both the preacher and the listener. As listeners, l know you will not need explanation of Christ’s words about carrying the cross, because you are more familiar with that teaching , but you definitely will need some convincing of what He meant by “hating father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters” – a teaching that seems to fly in the face of natural affection. Indeed the ways of God are mysterious! However let's see if we can get some answers from the readings.

Yes the church in its wisdom selects the first reading from the Book of Wisdom which instructs us to ask for the gifts of discernment and strength from the Holy Spirit so that we may do the will of God as His true disciples. Truly, we need this gift of divine discerning to understand what St. Paul teaches us in the second reading that detachment and renunciation are necessary for a true disciple of Christ. Also, we need same gift to understand what the Gospel is reminding us today about counting the cost of being a true disciple and follower of Christ.

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The readings describe the attitudes we should have when we give and when we receive. They also reveal that only those who are humble can receive the gift of God.

That is to say humility is the prerequisite for receiving gifts. Without a humble spirit we are unable to receive gifts as gift. This is because we are too proud or we do not know how to receive with the open hearts of children.

First reading praises the person who is humble. “My son, conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts,” (Sir 3:17). A humble person is conscious of his own weakness, and never rejects wisdom, no matter where it comes from. Such a person will find favor with God and with his friends and neighbors. Pride however raises a barrier to God's graciousness and to communion with our fellows.

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