17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Reflection by Fr. Leo

For many years now I have pointed out that the true miracle in today’s gospel is the sharing inspired by Christ.  All shared what they had and there was more than enough left over. This is the miracle that can happen, if all shared what they have in mutual trust and love, there would be enough for all in the world today.

I have always found it interesting that those who are most willing to share are those with the least.  I have found this among the poor, who more than others know what it means to share.  

In our current business culture a CEO can make 100 million dollars in a year.  Sorry, but no one is worth that.  Yes, you can argue that that is how the system works, but does anyone have the courage of a Saint Francis to call the system broken?  I always smile inside when the wealthy say St. Francis is their favorite saint.  Would they ever  be open to the idea that greed has become and unadulterated part of the great free market economic system?

I can hear the argument that it’s not practical and that in the end you need to teach people to fish not just to catch the fish for them.  I agree with that, but think of all the charity that is done by our Church in a year through the giving of those who make genuine sacrifice. I think too of all the hospitals that exist today because the religious women and men lived simply to help others. 

With our materialistic culture we have less people joining religious orders making it harder to sustain many charitable institutions.  Cardinal Mahoney, in a homily I heard, pointed out how most vocations come from the first two generations of immigrants and then after that, the generations are too much a part of the materialistic culture around them and less likely to live a life of formal ministry.

Like a prophet, Jesus’ words come to us today to wake us up to the call to live as one with all people.  We take the one bread and the one cup to proclaim our universal unity in God so that when we leave and go forth, we can make that unity a reality in the world today.

If anyone gets this right today it is Pope Francis.  Why, because he doesn’t live in the ivory palace recent practice holds out to him.  He enters the slums, the prisons and now has a place at the Vatican for the homeless to shower.  Just because they are poor doesn’t mean they can’t live with dignity and have the opportunity to have basic needs met.

As I say this today, I’m sure I’m causing a stir in some hearts.  Some for joy, some in defense.  But as I embrace the gospel today, what am I to say?  When all who have, even a little, share, there will be enough for all.  Let us pray that individually, myself included, we may be moved enough by Jesus’ words to live them in what we do with our time, talent, and treasure.