FR. THOMAS NGONG MHM, "EQUITY NOT LAW AND EQUALITY" 25TH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

GOD’S JUSTICE IS EQUITABLE IN NATURE NOT BASED ON EQUALITY That everyone is equal and that the law must be followed; more often people are abused and oppressed especially within the economic arena. The Jewish business people at the time of Amos were using their business intelligence to get as much profit as they could; out of the people including the poor. To them it was justice to get profit based on the laws of business. To them it was lawful to gain as much profit using their God given business intelligence. But Amos is telling the Jewish business people that such is not the will of God. Rather the quest for profit must only be so to the extent that it does not degrade the human person especially the poor. The quest for profit must be to the extent that it dignifies the human person. In the gospel Christ is less interested in what morality requires of the steward, but Christ is more concerned and appreciative of how the steward uses what is at his disposal for the welfare of those who do not have. Christ is more interested in how the steward improves and dignifies the lives of others. The steward is the one who negotiated the prices in the first place and so he had the right to renegotiate with the customers. Indeed the steward in renegotiating, used what was at his own discretion, to improve the lives of others. This is the recommendation from Christ; the good use of property and intelligence is to the extent that they dignify human life and promote equity not just equality. Kings and leaders have the potential of misusing laws, leading to oppression and loss of human dignity. Thus Paul calls for prayers for kings and leaders so that they may be able to protect the dignity and life of the poor. Therefore, properties, laws and justice are not just to be used on the basis of rights and privileges but on the basis of improving the common good. Today in our societies, those who have are comfortable using what they have as they so please. Those who have do not see anything wrong with them having while others highly lack. Those who have pride themselves as having not stolen from anyone thus, the right to freely and endlessly enjoy what they have even if the poor lose dignity and remain poor. We live in a world where the intellectually business oriented experts feel entitled to endlessly use their expertise to reap every little profit that they can have out of the market. The intelligent have no patience or mercy for those who cannot intellectually establish themselves financially and business wise. The great entrepreneurs consider it their rights to gain profit as much as they can from their intellectual investments. We live in countries where governments and individuals sign contracts but insist that the people cannot see the contracts; yet those contracts are signed in the name of the people. We live in the world where the economic futures of many countries and many people are decided by few countries and very few people; even when it hurts majority countries and people. We are reminded today; the right to have is not an end in itself rather the end is to dignify and upgrade human life with what we have. The true right that everyone has is the right to live a dignified life irrespective of class, race, country or origin. We are invited today to know that no matter how intellectually business oriented we are, we have no right to make endless profit to the impoverishment of those who are not commercially intelligent. It is not enough to have and spend what we have rightfully acquired but we must ask ourselves, how our manner of acquisition and usage affect the quest by others to live a dignified life. Let us pray for the grace to truly care about the dignity of our fellow brothers and sisters and not just our rights to acquire and carelessly use what we have got.