HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (2)

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 

THEME: MAMMON MINDSET

BY: Fr. Karabari Paul

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY JUNE 18 2022

‘You cannot serve God and mammon’

Some people think that having money is wrong. But the Bible never says

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 

THEME: MAMMON MINDSET

BY: Fr. Karabari Paul

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY JUNE 18 2022

 

 

‘You cannot serve God and mammon’

Some people think that having money is wrong. But the Bible never says that. What it actually says is that ‘the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10). It is not the accumulation of money that is the problem, it is the love we have for it. The Gospel passage of today (Matt 6:24-34) stresses the need to be faithful in the management of earthly goods entrusted to us while recognising the supreme place of God.

Jesus said: ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.’ He was basically saying that we can’t love God and love worldly things at the same time and level. God wants our whole heart. He doesn’t want to have a part of our love, while we give love to other things too. Jesus went on to teach that the greatest commandment is to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Matthew 22:37).

If we are being honest, many of us don’t love God with undivided heart. Other things take pieces of our heart. Maybe it is our relationships with others, our career, our hobbies, or our finances. While they are all important parts of our lives, loving God wholeheartedly means we don’t allow ourselves to be distracted and preoccupied by those things; instead we are fully devoted to God. In order to do this, we need to protect our heart from being taken over with love for other things. In Proverbs we are told: ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it’ (4:23). If love for God is filling our hearts, everything else will fall into place. We will use our money well, we will have great relationships, and we will move forwards in life.

Money worries can, and probably will, affect all of us at some time. Jesus gave this advice to us when are anxious about our finances: ‘Don’t worry about these things…your heavenly Father already knows all your needs…and he will give you everything you need’ (vv. 31-33). He will do this for us every day too, if we live for Him and make God’s kingdom our main concern.

If you are feeling worried about money at the moment, what is your biggest fear? Is it not having enough money, or not having God’s blessing on your finances and how you use your money? If the fear of missing out on God’s involvement in our finances is bigger and stronger than the fear of not having enough, we are actually in a good place, because it means we will be more inclined to seek God’s advice, use our money in line with His will, and sow generously into His kingdom. The Bible talks about ‘casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7).

None of us can escape financial uncertainty, and when we experience it, we long for the assurance that we are not alone. Ironically, financial peace of mind doesn’t come from hoarding and withholding, but from giving when it doesn’t seem to make sense. That is because in those times when we are down to our last kobo, or we don’t know how we are going to pay the next bill, all we can do is turn to God and trust Him. And as we see Him walking beside us and working in our situation, our faith and confidence in Him to provide for us and meet our needs grows stronger each day. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our world and land, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning

Fr. Karabari Paul

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