Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend’s first reading from the Book of Numbers (11:25-29) reminds us that the Spirit of God—the Holy Spirit—is offered as a great gift to the whole of creation, to each and every human person. We are called to accept and unwrap God’s gift of the Spirit and then use it in right relationship. This reading tells us that the Spirit is offered to those whom we might not think "deserving" of it. God decides. God gives. This reading also may remind us of the Latin phrase, Vocatus atque non vocatus Deus aderit: "Biden or not, God is present." Our personal need for convenience or selfish desires does not change the reality that God exists.

We must ask ourselves honestly, "do we accept His gift and how do we use it?" In this weekend’s second reading, from the Letter of St. James (5:1-6), we are warned against becoming so consumed by the goods of the world—and the need to collect them—that we become identified solely by our possessions. Let us be clear: the gold, the nice homes, the expensive car or the high-end clothes are not intrinsically evil, but rather the obsession with them and the controlling power they can come to have on our lives can create evil. St. James warns us to be concerned with what today we would term "social justice": feeding the hungry and building decent housing for others, clean water for all to drink and enough food to meet the basic human needs of all; the concern for education, and providing for the human dignity of each and every person. We can ask ourselves: how do I spend my time, my talent, and my financial resources—what do I consume or over consume—and how does that impact "the other?" And when we join ministries or programs to offer help, we should also ask the basic question of "what is the end result of my efforts?" Am I offering just a hand-out or am I giving this person a hand-up?