Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]

Readings
Ezekiel 18:25-28
Philippians 2:1-11 or 2:1-5
Matthew 21:28-32

Calendar
September 27: Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Patron of Charitable Societies
October 1: International Day of Older Persons http://www.who.int/ageing/events/idop_rationale/en/

Quotes
The Old Testament prophets emphasize that worship and prayer are not pleasing to God unless they are accompanied by practical works of justice and charity. Following the Great Jubilee, we must acknowledge the call to commit ourselves ever more generously to working for justice and the liberation of the oppressed.
John Paul II, General Audience, Jan. 10, 2001

Every citizen also has the responsibility to work to secure justice and human rights through an organized social response. In the words of Pius XI, "Charity will never be true charity unless it takes justice into account ... Let no one attempt with small gifts of charity to exempt himself from the great duties imposed by justice." The guaranteeing of basic justice for all is not an optional expression of largesse but an inescapable duty for the whole of society.
Economic Justice for All no. 120

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, defend the rights of those who have nothing. Speak up and judge fairly, and defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Proverbs 31:8-9

No one may claim the name of Christian and be comfortable in the face of hunger, homelessness, insecurity, and injustice found in this country and the world.
Economic Justice for All, no. 27

Thoughts for Your Consideration
(1) It is sometimes easy to pay lip service to the values of Catholic Social Teaching, like the second son in the gospel story. The more challenging thing is to put those values into practice in our complex world. (Everyone is concerned about those affected by the recent Hurricane Katrina. It is easy to put out public relations statements of concern. It is more of a challenge to do something.)

(2) Catholic Social Teaching assumes that religion has something to do with life and the way we behave. This is the message of the gospel today and the message of the first reading. Religion that is put into practice is religion that leads to life rather than death. Our behavior makes a difference. Catholic Christians are concerned with more than doctrine or ritual or piety. They are concerned with ethical values, social structures, social sin, injustice, war and peace, institutions that promote peace and justice, and all these sorts of things.

(3) Catholic Social Teaching invites us to act in the same spirit that animated Jesus. (At the same time, ethics is more than a simple WWJD. The ethical world is more complicated than a simple slogan. However, that does not mean than Jesus has nothing to say to us and our behavior.) Today Paul writes: "Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others." In short Jesus acted in solidarity with others. We are invited to do the same. We are invited to do so, even when it involves risk, as it did for Jesus. Jesus was free enough to let go of life. The spirit of Jesus is one of liberation.

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group
In the language of the second reading, when have you (or someone you knew) acted with the same attitude as Christ?

How have you been affected by Hurricane Katrina? How has it changed your way of looking at poverty in America? Has it inspired you to do something different?

Actions - Links
(1) Hurricane Katrina: Sojourners [www.sojo.net ] has been reflecting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in light of Christian concern for the poor. They have been inviting people to take "The Katrina Pledge: A commitment to build a new America." They have been publishing articles like "Priorities for the Poor? by Elizabeth Green." See: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.display&issue=050915

Hurricane Katrina has shown us the depth of poverty in America. Even the mainstream media, not normally a voice for the "least of these," has reported on the vast needs of the poor with increasing alarm.

If you are a member of Education for Justice, you can view resources on Hurricane Katrina and poverty, housing, the environment, and other issues, as well as a litany for use in your group or parish. Go to: http://www.coc.org/ej/justice/topics.html?ID=9098

(2) Poverty: Two recent reports highlight the problems of poverty and human development both in the U.S. and around the world. On Tuesday, August 30, 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau held a news conference regarding the level of poverty in America. The United Nations Development Programme released the Human Development Report 2005, which examines poverty and global progress on the Millennium Development Goals, on September 7, 2005. See: /bin/view.fpl/1090/article/2648.html

Prayer - Meditation

A Prayer for Compassion
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

Oh God, I wish from now on
To be the first to become conscious
Of all that the world loves, pursues, and suffers;

I want to be the first to seek,
To sympathize and to suffer;
The first of unfold and sacrifice myself,

To become more widely human
And more nobly of the earth
Than any of the world's servants.