Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

This weekend our Gospel passage ends with Jesus’ words, “No servant can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” The word “mammon” means “material wealth.” Clearly, we have a choice to make.

Reflecting on this issue reminds me of my dad’s sister, Aunt Annice. She was a missionary sister in Botswana, Africa. Every six years she was able to come back to the United States, and she always made it a point to visit all of her nieces and nephews. I remember one of those visits, when I was a much younger priest, and she told me all about her missionary work and showed me fascinating pictures of her African surroundings. At some point in our conversation I asked her, “Aunt Annice, when you are old enough to retire, will you return to the United States and live in your convent in New York again?” Her answer was striking; she said, “No, I could never come back here. You people have too many things.”

She did not intend for her answer to be harsh; she was just speaking clearly and simply, as she always did. But her words really got me thinking. It is true; we really do have too many things. The things are meant to serve us, but we easily end up serving them. We can spend way too much time and energy taking care of our things, protecting our things, and acquiring more and more things. They can become such a priority in our lives that they nudge God out of the top-priority place. “No servant can serve two masters….”

Case in point: I just now checked my iPhone settings to see what my daily average screen time is. Yikes! That’s time I could spend doing much more valuable, enjoyable, and meaningful things, like prayer, works of charity, and…well, you know, lots of things. I’ve got to examine my priorities!

Having lived a life of simplicity, focused on serving the Lord and the people around her, my aunt could not imagine coming back to a life that is cluttered, complicated, and materialistic. She lived, worked, and prayed in Botswana to her dying day. She is buried there, in an appropriately simple grave. I would like to be more like her.

On a different but related note, be sure to check out St. Paul’s words to Timothy in our second reading this weekend: “I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone…, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.” We can’t all move to Botswana like my aunt, or travel all over the place like St. Paul, but we can extend our charity throughout the world through the power of prayer. And if that prayer leads the world to “lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity,” we will undoubtedly be playing our part in making the world a much better place.

Blessings,

Fr. Philip