Sept. 21, 2025, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Serving God or Serving Wealth? Lessons from Three Biblical Passages
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| Faith and Action |
Prayer & Worship
In the book of Amos, the people are condemned for being impatient with the Sabbath and religious festivals, seeing them as an inconvenience that delays their return to unjust business practices. Their worship is shown to be hypocritical and empty.
In Timothy, St. Paul urges universal prayer for all, especially for those in authority, so that all may be saved and come to a full knowledge of the truth. This prayer must be offered with "holy hands, without anger or argument."
While in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shows how wealth can become a master, replacing God. The parable challenges the listener to use their worldly goods in a way that serves God and prepares them for an eternal home.
These passages warn us not to see holy days, like Sunday Mass for Catholics, as an inconvenience that gets in the way of our worldly business. Instead, we should prioritize God and use this holy day to fulfill our purpose: to come together as a community and pray for everyone, especially those in authority.
The Church helps people keep this command by the Prayers of the Faithful or at Mass when "the people exercise their priestly function by praying for all mankind" and "pray for Holy Church, for those in authority, for those oppressed by various needs, for all mankind, and for the salvation of the entire world" ("General Instruction on the Roman Missal", 45)
Justice & Stewardship
The prophet Amos condemns the rich and powerful for their greed and exploitation of the poor. They are cheating with false measures and selling "the refuse of the wheat" to those in need. This is a direct attack on social and economic injustice.
St. Paul emphasizes the universal salvific will of God, who desires that all people be saved. This universalism extends to the Christian obligation to pray for all, including those in authority, which can be interpreted as a form of social justice.
The parable of the dishonest steward teaches the shrewd use of worldly possessions. The message is not to be dishonest, but to be as proactive and clever in using wealth for eternal purposes as the world's children are for temporary gain. The passage warns against the love of money, stating that you cannot serve both God and "mammon" (wealth).
St Gregory Nazianzen wrote, "We should not dedicate our lives to the accumulation of money and wealth when there are so many others who struggle to survive in abject poverty; thus shall we heed the warning contained in the words of the prophet Amos: Hear this, you who trample upon the needy, and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, 'When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale'" (De pauperum amore [Oratio, 14], 24).
Human Dignity
Amos's prophetic denunciation of the exploitation of the poor is a powerful defense of human dignity. The prophet reminds the people that the poor are not merely commodities to be bought and sold, but fellow human beings who are "trampled on" and ruined by the wealthy.
St. Paul's call to pray for "all men" (everyone) and the declaration of one mediator, Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all, highlights the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. This dignity is rooted in God's desire for everyone's salvation.
Jesus's teaching emphasizes that how we treat the "least" of our brothers and sisters, and how we use our money to help others, is a direct reflection of our relationship with God. Our stewardship of wealth is a moral test of our faithfulness.
"What zeal people put into their earthly affairs: dreaming of honors, striving for riches, bent on sensuality. Men and women, rich and poor, old and middle-aged and young and even children: all of them the same. When you and I put the same zeal into the affairs of our souls, we will have a living and operative faith: and there will be no obstacle that we cannot overcome in our apostolic undertakings" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 317).
In Other Words...
These three readings from scripture teach us that our relationship with God cannot be separated from how we treat other people and how we use our money.
- The book of Amos shows us that God rejects empty worship. You can't claim to love God while cheating and oppressing the poor.
- Paul's letter to Timothy tells us that because God desires the salvation of everyone, our prayers must also be universal—praying for all people, especially those in power, is an act of justice.
- The Gospel of Luke warns that money and earthly wealth can become a rival god. It challenges us to be as clever and proactive in using this wealth for eternal purposes as people are in using it for temporary worldly gain.
Together, these passages remind us that genuine Faith is active. It's not just about what we do inside our churches, but how we live our lives outside of it. Our actions, our attitudes toward wealth, and our treatment of others are all a reflection of our true relationship with God.
For more information regarding the above topics, click on the videos below.
Videos:
- Parable of the Unjust Steward by Dr. Brant Pitre
- Dishonest Wealth by Louis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
- The Use - And Abuse - of Power by Bishop Robert Barron
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