26th Sunday Ordinary Time September 28, 2025

Readings: Amos 6:1a, 4-7 1 Timothy 6:11-16   Luke 16:19-31

The rich man in the Gospel, from Saint Luke today, had clearly grown accustomed to have the poor man at his gate and no longer even thought about him. The Prophet Amos, in the first reading today, is proclaiming the same message. Those who have so much of the best of the things in this world can become totally insensitive to those who have nothing or very little. Are you and I insensitive? And it is not even you that I must worry about. It is myself. Have I become insensitive to the needs of others, to the cry of the poor—no matter what kind of poverty it is?

The second reading today, from the First Letter to Timothy, speaks clearly of a way to avoid becoming insensitive to the poverty of others: pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. The more spiritually sensitive we are, the more that we follow Jesus Christ, the more we become aware of the poor. If we are not aware of the poor and not going anything to help the poor, it is a clear sign that our following of Jesus is not yet strong enough or that we are not listening to Him or that we have taken a wrong turn spiritually. There is no way honestly to follow Christ and not love the poor.

Our righteousness must always be a righteousness of love—a preferential love for the poor and for our enemies because this is what Jesus asks of us. He tells us with great clarity: love the poor and the outcast and love your enemies! It is our faith itself that tells us to develop devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness—and the test is our love for the poor and for our enemies. You and I are here today to worship the Lord our God. If we do not love the poor and our enemies, then we cannot worship this God who has called us in Christ Jesus.

Let us give thanks to the God who calls us. Let us pray for the spiritual wisdom to know the poor and our enemies. May our love for them form us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

                 Fr. Terry