September 27 |
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26th Sunday Ordinary Time Luke 16:19-31 |
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| Background: In this selection Luke presents two separate, but interconnected teachings of Jesus. The classic reversal of fortunes critiques those who fail to follow the command to have concern for the needy, whatever their situation. The conversation between the rich man and Father Abraham makes clear the emphasis Luke places on the need to listen to God’s teaching here and now in our daily lives. We are not to wait for a divine intervention to wake us up when we fail to live as followers of the Lord. The final reference to one who should rise from the dead foreshadows the continued rejection of the Lord’s call to repentance even after his resurrection. |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time, about thirty years ago, two young men, friends fresh out of college, began working for the same company. Tom, a real go-getter, was determined he was going to be an important person in the company, even if he had to step on a few toes to achieve his goal. As the years passed, he learned all the tricks for making a good impression, even when it meant stealing other people’s ideas, fudging a bit on accounts, and buttering up his superiors, while making fun of them behind their backs. He kept telling his wife and kids, "You’ve got to learn to work the system. Don’t worry about those you leave behind. Just remember you’re number one. You have to take care of yourself. Don’t be like Joe. Look at him. He’s never going to go anywhere, always trying to encourage his workers, challenging the bosses when he doesn’t agree with them. Higher ups don’t want to know the truth." Joe believed it was important that he and the people who worked for him did a good job. He encouraged them. When someone had an idea for a better way of doing a task, he was open to the idea and always gave others credit. He was not averse to challenging company policy that was unfair or unethical. Though using different approaches, the two had worked their way up to equal positions in the company when the stockholders and board of directors began questioning why the company wasn’t doing better. Upper management responded by downsizing. They combined Tom and Joe’s divisions, made Joe a director, and, having discovered Tom’s fudging of accounts, fired him. When Tom’s children started their careers, he warned them of the pitfalls of his style. Unfortunately, they had absorbed his philosophy and, like him, thought they could beat the system. |
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