The Bottom Line

The word “mammon” is Aramaic and means property, not only money, but also any possession. More than twenty-five years ago, Fr. John Haughey, S.J. wrote a thoughtful book entitled The Holy Use of Money: Personal Finances in the Light of the  Christian Faith. He described the condition of “mammon sickness” as having three interrelated aspects: running after things, a numbness in our relationships, and a divided consciousness regarding God. 

Today’s readings invite us to take our spiritual temperatures to see if we are  suffering from a low-grade, or even a more severe, case of “mammon sickness.”  The prophet Amos rails not simply against dishonest business practices in buying and selling, but more importantly how pursuing wealth can diminish honoring  God on the Sabbath and lead to “trampling upon the needy and destroying the  poor of the land.” The prophetic voice shouts out to proclaim God’s love and care for the poor; wealth can exclude such love and care from our daily lives. 

The parable Jesus tells and the sayings that follow call for more consideration than space allows, but note that the master’s seeming admiration is for his steward’s “prudence” or “shrewdness” in using money to make friends. Jesus then contrasts how the children of this world deal with their own kind more astutely than the children of the light. Succinctly put, use mammon to help others. There can be a holy use of money, to care for those most in need, thereby giving glory to God. 

Consider/Discuss

• Do you see mammon/money as seducer or sacrament? 
• God or mammon—whom do you serve? How do you know? 

Responding to the Word

God of justice, you are our true wealth and you have entrusted us with the goods of all creation. May we use them wisely and work to see that all have a just share in them. Form us into just and generous stewards, modeled after the image of your Son.