"Finding True Wealth in God" - 25th Sunday Homily by Deacon Ted

Every time I read this gospel, I'm

Confused

If I should say that honestly, honesty has a lot to do with today's Gospel.

It has a lot to do with today's readings.

But this is the phrase that throws me.

I tell you, make friends for yourself with dishonest wealth.

So when it fails, you will be welcomed into the eternal dwelling.

Now I see that a lot of you look like me.

I don't understand, Lord.

So I wrestled with this, and I did a lot of research, but I wrestled with what is dishonest wealth and why should I make friends with it?

And here's where I came to a conclusion.

I came to this conclusion that what God is talking about is dishonest wealth.

It's the wealth of humanity, the wealth of man on earth.

Money, the giving and selling, the taking.

He considers that dishonest wealth.

Well, you might ask then, shouldn't be, money's not bad, right?

What's true wealth?

True wealth is the love of God and the worship of God and everything that God does and everything that God provides.

And so what Jesus is saying is be familiar with the ways of the world.

Be familiar with money.

Be familiar with how it's earned, what it buys, how it's exchanged.

Be familiar with those things so that you use it properly.

and so that you don't use it improperly.

And the improperly is an example in the first reading from the prophet Amos, where these good devout businessmen who are keeping holy the Sabbath and the feast, not doing their

business because they're keeping it holy, that's the law, but they're talking about when will it be over so that we can

cheat the people so that we can give less of the product to the people and charge them more, increase the money, decrease the product.

And by the way, they were so full of making money, dishonest money, in a dishonest way that they were willing to hurt the poor.

So even to the poor, they were going to sell their wheat and take the poor's shoes, take their sandals for food.

And that wasn't enough.

Then they were going to sweep up all the refuse that was left over on the floor.

And they were going to sell that.

That is dishonest wealth.

That is what God is cautioning us against.

Don't let this happen to you.

Because that money, that money became for them the end.

That money was the enabler of all things.

If they needed something, it was money.

Money provides for all.

But that's not truth.

That's not honesty.

Truth is God provides for all.

God is the one who provides you with what you need.

And if that in this currency of today's age is money, then God is providing for that with His grace.

So don't think of it as the ends.

It's just a means of doing business on this world.

If you can't trust somebody in small matters, you can't trust them in large ones.

A little thing like, oh, let's just say I need to make more money because my business expanded and I need to pay these people.

So, what I charged $40 for last year, I'm going to charge $45 for today.

That's reasonable, right?

That's trustworthy.

What's not trustworthy is when that businessman says, and I'm doing it for your benefit.

I'm raising the price for you so that you can be assured that every month you're going to get the same level of service.

Well, I had that same level of service last year when I was paying less.

So honesty is to speak well and do right by all things in your life.

Not just in money, but in intent, in the words you use, in the ideas you put forth.

Remember, all things are from God.

God provides for the rich and the poor, evil and the good.

He rains down on all of them and provides crops so that we can all eat.

God is the ultimate goal.

You can't serve God and man.

You can't serve God as your goal and wealth as your goal.

You can't wake up in the morning and say, oh, I hope the market does well today.

You should wake up in the morning and say thank you for allowing me to wake up Lord because everything is from him.

I want to leave you with this last thought that's from the second reading.

From the letter of St.

Paul to Timothy.

It says, first of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, thanksgiving be offered for everyone.

for kings and for all in authority, that we, you and I, may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.

Pray for everyone.

Pray especially for those in power.

That we may live a life of peace, tranquility, and dignity.

Because that's what God wants for each and every one of us.

And our prayers should be used to do that which God wants.

And so that's what we're praying for.

Today, let us think about what is paramount in our lives.

Let us think about what drives the way we make decisions.

And let us pray to God for everyone that all man may live in peace and with dignity.