In today's Gospel we hear the Lord praise God's preference
for "little ones." Francis referred to them as minors. Majors
in his medieval society were aristocratic families who ruled the world and used
their finances and weaponry to maintain their authority. His followers to this day are known as "friars minor."
Agustin Fuentes, in his book Why
We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being (2019), shows how the gap
of wealth and poverty began in prehistory. With the development of cities and
the need for a continuous food supply, power settled upon those who controlled
the supply. They created writing, records, invoices, and correspondence. Their
work was clerical rather than manual, requiring fewer hours and less
physical stress. But they were in the right position to assure their own security ahead of the consumers who
ate the food and the farmers who supplied it. With wealth came status; they
could afford to snub the common folk who did not understand their arcane
language and complex symbols.
That financial system prevails to this day as American investors pay less or no taxes on money -- "capital gains" -- they garnered without effort, while laborers pay the heavier taxes. The investors obviously have better representation in the chambers of government, which are occupied by fellow investors. They, in turn, hire well-paid propogandists to persuade the same workers to vote for them. "We're your kind of people!" they insist. Their values -- greed, security, comfort -- may be the same but their living standards are better.
No one should be surprised by this wealth gap. Nine hundred years before Christ was born, the Prophet Amos complained about the "cows of Bashan,” who live on the mount of Samaria, who oppress the destitute and abuse the needy; who say to their husbands, “Bring us a drink!” We could not expect the American experiment to change that dynamic. Its roots are deeper than every human system; they’re called Original Sin. As Jesus said, “They have their reward.”
The reward of little ones is the affection and confidence of God. The saints and our daily prayers assure us that Loving Gaze is infinitely superior to comfort, security, and the esteem of fickle friends. The current pandemic, accompanied by financial crises and social disruption, proves again how insubstantial material satisfactions are. They vanish like the morning dew before the consubstantial love of the Father and the Son and the transubstantial miracle of the Eucharist. We know that substance within ourselves when the Father and the Son and their Holy Spirit make their home in our hearts.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.