MONEY, THAT TAINTED THING

PRAYER MOMENT 

Saturday 8 November 2014

MONEY, THAT TAINTED THING

                     

Pause. Be still in God’s presence.

Reading: “If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches?” (Luke 16:9-15)

Reflection. It happens that both readings today – the other one is Phil 4:10-19 – speak of money. And both convey similar messages. The Philippians have provided Paul with money for his needs and he thanks them. But he is not really interested in the money. “I have learnt to manage on whatever I have,” he says, “I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too.” But he is delighted by the affection and concern the money represents. He knows the attraction of money and the attitude of the Pharisees, “who loved money,” which is treated in the reading from the gospel. He was a Pharisee himself. He knows how a desire for money can distort and enslave the human spirit. And today the desire for money can cloud our mind so that we end up with a fuzzy understanding of what the gospel is saying to us.       

Prayer. Lord, teach us to use money for our needs. But help us to be aware that it is a “tainted thing” and can draw us away from you if we are not on our guard.  Amen.  

David Harold-Barry SJ