September 3, 2000 - 22nd Sunday [B]
The first reading (Dt. 4:1-2,G-8) speaks of observing God's law, the psalm (15) extols practicing justice, the second reading (Jas 1:17-18,21 b-22,2.7) admonishes us to act on God's word, and the Gospel (Mk. 7:1-8, 14-15,21-23) condemns our lip service to God's taw. Relate the idea that the U.S. bishops have called the federal budget a moral document. When we spend excessive amounts on the military while children are starving, and millions are in poverty and without health care, justice is not being practiced and we are paying lip service to God's command to act on the Word. Consider researching some local statistics on spending for education and social programs and comparing them to the exorbitant amounts allocated to the military budget.
September 10, 2000 - 23rd Sunday [B]
The readings today thematically follow last week's readings. Last Sunday Jesus admonishes the Pharisees for paying lip service to God's true law. Today's first two readings (is. 35:4-7a; Jas2:l-5) and the psalm (146) clearly spell out who the Messiah comes for - those who are poor, oppressed, and in need. In the Gospel (Mk. 7:31-37) Jesus confronts the Pharisees in a vivid way by healing the man who was deaf and mute. This is an indictment of the Pharisees lip service and deafness to God's law. Jesus is here to correct that, to open up (ephphatha) our ears to hear and our mouths to speak. Bring this idea to military spending and our need to speak out against anything that contravenes this message of justice for those who are poor, oppressed and in need - specifically when over '/2 of our federal discretionary budget is unquestioningly spent on the military, while so many in our country don't even have enough to survive.
September 17, 2000- 24th Sunday [B]
Today's first reading (Is. 50:5-9a) and psalm (116) speak to us of the cost of discipleship and the heavy cost that it is. The second reading (Jas 2:14-18) re-emphasizes the need for our faith to be active. Finally, the Gospel (Mk. 8:27-35) shows the idea of Jesus being understood as Messiah. This puts the message of the other readings into a stronger context, as it is after Caesarea Philippi that Jesus begins to make his passion predictions and spells out the true cost of discipleship. These readings tell us that we must openly stand for that which we believe - no matter the cost. Relate the idea of the cost of discipleship to the cost of the military in our budget. Show the stark contradiction of one being called to give everything to those who are poor, oppressed and in need and the other as helping to cause and maintain poverty and oppression.
September 24, 2000 - 25th Sunday [B]
Today's second reading (Jas 3:16-4:3) goes right to the heart of our issue. James accuses us of spending wrongly on our passions - our passions to posses what we cannot obtain that leads us to kill and to wars. The Gospel (Mk. 9: 30-37) echoes again the simplicity and clarity of Jesus' message which stands in stark contrast to our passions and war-making highlighted in James' letter. We are here for service, the first shall be last. In our society we have chosen to place the military first and those in need last. Although the first reading (Wis. 2:12, 17-20) reminds us what mainstream society will do to us if we speak this truth to power, the psalm reasserts that God holds our life (54). Use these themes to challenge people to speak out against a budget that places preparations for war above education or health care or a living wage.
October 1, 2000 - 26th Sunday [B]
Today's readings lend themselves to a discussion about rich and poor. The second reading (Jas 5:1-6) plainly states what the rich will reap. Coupled with the Gospel (Mk. 9:38-43, 45, 47-48) we see that it is better to get rid of these ill riches than be cast into Gehenna. These readings can be used to lead into a discussion about how our rich (the military-industrial complex) bask in hundreds of billions of dollars of our money, while "these little ones" suffer with no health insurance and in poverty. Again, the psalm (19) reiterates the call to follow God's law and the first reading (Nm. 11:25-29) calls us to a prophetic voice again. Overall, these texts call us to be a prophetic voice for God's law against the injustice of the rich who, according to Jesus, will be cast into the fires of Gehenna for their part in the marginalization and poverty of God's little ones. Again, use local statistics to show where you really need federal monies to go, and call for an end to wasteful spending.
October 8, 2000 – 27th Sunday [B]
On the surface, today's readings seem to be difficult to relate to wasteful military spending. On closer examination, we can discover something to be said. The 1" reading (Gen 2:18-24) and the Gospel (Mk. 10:2-16) appear to be about divorce, yet they are really about Jesus' message and a challenge to the Pharisees. The actual question here is not as important as why it was asked. On one side you have the Pharisees who have taken a Mosaic law regarding divorce in the case of adultery and changed it into an unbelievable example of the lip service that Jesus talked about in the Gospel a few weeks back. The divorce law had become so complex and allowed for the most minute of reason that only a trained rabbi could successfully fill out the necessary documents and follow the proper procedure. In Moses' day it was a simple form that anyone could fill out. Still, it is Jesus' answer that tells the true message here. Jesus doesn't answer by quoting Moses, instead he goes back to the beginning - to today's first reading and quotes what God intended from the beginning. This sequence is important. The Pharisees, the powers that be, and "the law" on one side and Jesus (the new covenant) and God, the power that is on the other. In this context the second reading (Heb. 2:9-11 ) which seems out of place, now has meaning. It reasserts Jesus' message and life - which is what Jesus is actually doing in his "divorce" argument with the Pharisees. Use this to talk about today's powers that be (the government) and how it is trying to lay moral claim to over half of all our tax money for unjust reasons while the true reasons Jesus came - the poor, outcasts, marginalized - get a pittance of our tax money.
October 15, 2000 - 28th Sunday [B]
Today's readings challenge us from inaction to action. The 1 ~ reading (Wis. 7:7-11 ) extols the virtues of wisdom and the 2nd reading (Heb. 4:12-13) speaks of the activeness of that wisdom. The Gospel (Mk. 10:17-30) then tells us that to activity is where wisdom is called. When Jesus is quoting the commandments to the rich young man they are almost all "not" commandments. When the young man states that he has adhered to all these Jesus challenges him to an active commandment. Unfortunately the young man says he cannot do this thing. All of these readings are to remind us that the cost of discipleship is action, and a very unpopular, unsure, insecure action. Jesus doesn't tell us how we will get by after giving away everything, just that this is what we are called to do. The military budget is largely a "not" budget, spending billions for perceived enemies that are not there and maintaining a huge arsenal of weapons that are not moral and not necessary. The proactive part of our budget is where the money needs to be - in social programs, education and community investiture. Challenge the people to turn away from worshiping gods of metal and death (the military) and return to following the God of Life who gives to those in need.
October 22, 2000 - 29th Sunday [B]
Today's readings give us a two step approach to the issue of wasteful military spending. The Gospel (Mk. 10:35-45) speaks clearly to the tendency for the authorities to "lord it over" the people. This is, in fact, what the federal government does when it takes our tax money and spends it irresponsibly The government is supposed to be the voice of the people, a servant as Jesus suggests. When it fails this responsibility we must call it to task. The government is to serve, not dictate. When it spends nearly $300 billion on the military, while minimum wage is not a living wage, millions have no health care or jobs, and millions more live in poverty, it violates the sacred trust it has been given. The other readings (Is. 53:10-11 and Heb. 4:14-16) remind us that our challenge to the powers that be will not be any easy task, but that we must have faith and trust in God (Ps. 33).
October 29, 2000- 30th Sunday [B]
Today's first reading (Jer. 31:7-9) and psalm (126) speak of restoration, in this case the restoration of Israel as promised by God. We see in the second (Heb 5:1-6) reading that this restoration is actually the restoration of us all in the person of Jesus. But what is it that we are restoring? The Gospel (Mk. 10:46-52) says sight. But it is not merely physical sight. Jesus came to restore our vision to that of God's vision, to help us to perceive reality as God perceives it. We are blind when we allow over 50% of our federal discretionary budget to go to the military when we have no real threat, yet millions in our own country starve, live without health care and work full time for less than a living wage. Challenge the people to open their eyes to the reality of what the federal government does in their names. Challenge them to hold the government accountable and to refuse to be blind to injustice anymore.
November 5, 2000 - 31st Sunday [B]
Today's 1 ~ reading (Dr. 6:2-6) and Gospel (Mk. 12:28-34) revolve around the discussion of the greatest commandment: loving God with all your heart and soul and your neighbor as yourself. In Luke's Gospel, this commandment question is followed by the story of the Good Samaritan employed to answer the question, "who is my neighbor". Talk about which of the following employs Jesus' command to love one's neighbor as oneself: spending half of our tax dollars on the military during peacetime, while millions are in poverty and without health care, or cutting back on wasteful military spending and using the money to bind up the wounds of those in our society that are left in the ditch to die? Jesus has answered this question for us, challenge the congregation to do the same.
November 12th, 2000 [B]
In today's Gospel (Mk. 12: 38-44) Jesus condemns the manner in which the rich disburse their money The first reading (1 Kings 17:10-16) and the psalm (146) tell us how God chooses to disburse - by feeding the poor and hungry. Explain how our federal government chooses to disburse our money and ask if this is in line with God's choice or not. Recall the poor widow who gives out of the little she has. Make the connection to the fact that many people are poor not by choice but because of the federal spending priorities that give little help to those in true need and "gives out of its excess" to an already bloated military budget.
November 19th, 2000 [B]
Today's Gospel (Mk. 13:24-32) and 1st reading (Dan. 12:1-3) both speak of the signs of the end times. The second reading and the psalm (16) also speak of the reward of those who chose God's ways. Although the readings don't specify what keeping in God's ways actually means, this can be easily grasped from the many preceding readings over the last 12 Sundays. A preacher once asked, "If someone accused you of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Jesus says that we can read the signs of the times. When we do, what is our response? A military budget that takes over half of all our discretionary tax dollars to buy new jets and tanks, while millions live without health care and cannot earn a living wage says that we don't care. It says that it is okay to buy needless things while some are starving. It is to pass by the injured person on the side of the road as not our problem. But Jesus says it is our problem. As Catholics our church teaches an essential preferential option for those who are poor. Challenge the people to put their faith into practice, to challenge their representatives to really represent the needs of the people and not special interest groups representing military contractors.
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