Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
“Their God is their stomach...Their minds are occupied with earthly things.” (Phil 3:19) Wow, this passage from today’s first reading really seemed to be speaking to me as I sat down the day after the election to reflect and write this. Not only was my mind occupied with the still-being-counted-and-reported election results, my stomach was distracting me with it’s grumblings of hunger. I eventually got up and made a snack to satisfy my stomach, and put my phone and computer on “do not disturb” to aid my attempt at focusing on these readings instead of the latest news updates and messages.
I trust (and hope) that my stomach is not my God; of course we have to eat to survive, and I’m sure I’m not alone in being guilty of eating and enjoying more than my body requires. It’s also a delicate balance, I think, between being occupied with earthly things -- such as an important presidential election or whether we will be able to keep our job and provide for ourselves and families (as in today’s gospel reading) -- and being focused on what Paul refers to as our “citizenship in heaven.”
In today’s gospel passage and parable from Luke (16:1-8), the dishonest “steward” is about to lose his job for squandering his master’s property, so he sets out to ensure that he will have somewhere to go, a way to survive after he is “let go.” The passage ends with the somewhat cryptic verse, “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” One interpretation is that we are called to be even more prudent than those who are dishonest in using our money, talents and resources in serving God and living the Gospel.
Is my stomach my God, or am I feeding my stomach/body for energy to serve God? Is my mind overly occupied with earthly things or well balanced with the gifts/talents I am called to develop, nurture and use to work, minister and serve as a child of light?
The struggle is real here and now, with earthly politics and earthly bodies to attend to, so even as we as we await our savior who will “change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body,” let us pray for one another and be encouraged, like the people of Philippi, to “stand firm in the Lord” remembering that as children of light our true citizenship is in heaven.
~Eileen Miller