Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 Lectionary: 489

For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

Today's fascinating Gospel demonstrates Jesus's bemused acceptance of evil in our world. He does not condemn the steward for his devious, and apparently successful, strategem. If anything, he sympathizes with an older man who cannot dig ditches and is ashamed to beg. Rather, he uses the story to remind us that we live in a complex world where every act, good or bad, is followed by a series of consequences that are both good and bad. As the pundit H.L. Mencken said, "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

During the past few weeks, as we voted, American Catholics have made hard decisions. If every choice was prudent, we should expect nonetheless a bewildering variety of responses. 

Foremost in our minds is the sanctity of human life, a principle which is interpretted in many ways. Some insist that abortion is the only issue; extremists have condemned to the deepest pits of Hell anyone who did not vote for the incumbent president. Others have interpretted human dignity to include the unborn, the elderly, children, laborers, and the despised. Long before abortion became legal, America was a violently racist society. Abortion is one more manfestation of our vicious traditions. Still other Catholics prudently believe the rights of persons with unusual sexual preferences are paramount.

 

We cannot say to this bewildering variety, "To each his own!" but we can hope the Holy Spirit has guided every voting person in their choice. If anything, the democratic processes and the decisions we have made should persuade us that God is still in Charge. We cannot see beyond the horizon as we advance but the Lord does.