Mt. 11 /2-11
1. Background
The early Church continues its dialogue with the followers of the Baptist in today's story, again "slanting" the story to make it look like John asked Jesus who he was and Jesus replied by applying to himself one of the messianic prophecies of Isaiah. As was said last week, we may doubt that the actual conversation took place the way that is described, though there certainly was a tradition among the earliest Christians that Jesus applied to himself the words of that prophecy. From the very beginning Jesus people understood that a necessary consequence of their faith was service to those who suffered. This understanding survives even today as the Pope made clear in his recent talk at the United Nations and as the American Bishops did in their meeting last month when they excoriated those in our society who wish to blame the poor and the elderly and the immigrants not only for their own problems but also for the problems of the rest of the country. It is not our role to take positions on specific legislation or suggested public policy. But there is a meanness and an anger in American public life today which followers of Jesus cannot accept. Nor can we pretend that it is acceptable to our tradition that a situation continue in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The Gospel remains a stumbling block to those who believe that the way to be a success in the business world is by cutting the salaries of your workers or firing them.

2. Story
Once upon a time there was a very successful business executive. He fired men and women who had worked for his company for twenty years. He exported work and jobs to other countries where he could pay starvation wages. He got back on pension and health benefits whenever he could. Sometimes he fired people just a week or two before they became eligible for pensions. He was constantly "downsizing" his company and "outplacing" work. He was praised in the Wall Street journal for keeping his company "lean and mean." When ever anyone challenged his decisions he got the best lawyers to go to court and block the challenge. His stockholders were very pleased with him because the company paid large dividends and their stock always climbed ahead of the Dow Jones Average. He made a lot of money in salaries and stock options and was very generous to the Church. "My first obligation is to my stockholders," he always said. "If they are pleased with me, then I know I'm doing a good job. I give thanks to God for blessing my work by contributing ten percent of my money to the Church. I'm sure God knows that I'm a good Catholic." When he died and came before St. Peter he received a long sentence in purgatory. He demanded the right to appeal and looked around for the best lawyers to plead his case. Know what? He couldn't find any.