“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Matthew 22:15-21
December 1, 2024
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After today’s readings, we can’t say we have not been warned about the dangers of mixed-up priorities. God’s Word is so very clear today on the necessity of putting Him first in all areas of our lives.
We see this in the First Reading from Amos. The Lord has harsh words for those who would take advantage of the poor and whose priorities are not aligned with God’s.
In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul gives us the antidote to the self-centeredness condemned in our First Reading. The antidote is to imitate Christ “who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” Rather than thinking of Himself and how to “get ahead” Christ gave Himself away – completely – for our sake. That is how we are to live.
In our Gospel passage from Luke, the Lord shows us how to bridge the gap between worldly thinking and priorities and eternal thinking and priorities. Jesus tells the parable of the corrupt but clever steward who is about the get fired when the master discovers the steward has been squandering his property. Realizing his imminent unemployed status, the clever steward reaches out to the various debtors of his master to wheel and deal with them, making friends who would look out for him when he became jobless.
What if we put that kind of effort into our own tasks as good stewards of all God’s gifts to us? Into our ministries, into the ways we could make more time for prayer as individuals, as couples, as families, and as a parish? What if we got as creative as the “bad steward” in the use of our finances so that we could give more generously to the poor and the advancement of God’s kingdom on the earth?
That’s our lesson and our challenge.
In Emergency: Father Lukenge
Council Chair: Herb Godschalk
Vice Chair: Beth Eley
Secretary: Sue Godschalk
Worship: Eileen Judah
Community Life: Deborah Lambert
Justice & Peace: Tom Misiak
Grounds & Maintenance: Louis Pokrywka
Priest in Residence: Father Tom Collins
Address: 255 W. Main St (office – 214 W. Locust St.) Covington, VA 24426
Phone: 540-962-6541
Mass Schedule: Sunday 11:00 AM
Address: 620 Jefferson Ave. Clifton Forge, VA 24422
Phone: 540-863-5371
Mass Schedule: Sunday 9:00 AM
Address: 1499 Shady Ln. (P.O. Box 38) Hot Springs, VA 24445
Phone: 540-839-2603
Mass Schedule: Saturday 5:00 PM