Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (11/18/2007)

Dear People of Holy Name,

In every society there are those who will take advantage of others. St. Paul addresses those in his community who refuse to work saying they should not eat either. What is more, these non-workers were using religion as their excuse saying the second coming was so immanent that they need not work. Paul uses himself as an example, for he always worked to support himself so he would not be a burden in any way on those to whom he preached.

Today we can find people of all kinds who live with a false sense of entitlement. It is easy to point fingers at those who take advantage of the welfare system by not working and doing what they need to do, in order to stay on assistance. Claiming they are disadvantaged, which they are, they use that as an excuse not to improve themselves or their situations. Yes, it may be hard for them given their emotional and educational limitations, but there isn’t an excuse for squandering the opportunities they were given. People must be held accountable.

Then there are those on the other end of the economic spectrum who are equally guilty of a false sense of entitlement. I think of executives who believe they have a right to the multimillions they make each year and the “golden parachutes” that come at the expense of many ruined lives of the people whose money they mishandled when the companies failed. Politicians, at every level of government, are another group where we find those who believe they are above the law. We have even found such entitlement among judges in our judicial system.

I thing the true corrective for this false sense of entitlement is Paul’s instruction not to be minding other people’s business, but one’s own. We can sit and point fingers all day long at people who take advantage of others and who do the same to us. What is more helpful is to draw our own boundaries and not let people take advantage of us. This may be very hard to do, especially if our pattern is to gain people’s attention by doing for them and not allowing a healthy give and take.

Creating a healthy balance in our relationships is difficult if we are “care-takers.” It calls us to begin the painful work of building our self-identity on a confidence we may not yet have. Can we believe people will like us for who we are and not for what we can do for them?

The other side of that coin is that dimension of our own entitlement that comes at the expense of others. At the end of the day are we really better than the homeless man or woman, or were we luckier? Some on our streets are entitled to a lot more than we give them. We as a society are responsible for the welfare of those who struggle with mental illness. Providing mental health care and safe places for them to live is our duty.

Finding the balance that respects the needs of all is the only corrective. In doing so I believe wars would cease and our funding of instruments of war would be directed to instruments of peace. Rather than pointing fingers at this group of fundamentalists or that group of conservatives, we do well to mind our own business and not work everyone else’s program. It is only a way to avoid our own work, and at the end of the day we know we may not be able to change others anyway, but by the grace of God we can change and become healthier individuals.

Let us work together to draw healthy boundaries in our lives, that we may give like Christ and receive his goodness in the generosity of others. Let us learn to love others as we love ourselves, and may we truly love ourselves as Christ loves us.

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo