My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue striving to live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ—to seek, to do, and to love the Father’s will—we must embrace those things that will make us virtuous, rather than those that weigh us down and impede our spiritual life. This spiritual life brings meaning and beauty to the journey the Lord has given us.
In today’s first reading, Saint Paul, in his letter to Timothy, encourages us to avoid envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth and see religion as a means of personal gain. My brothers and sisters, Saint Paul is speaking about those who use religion for selfish motives—those who preach God and proclaim the Good News, not to help others, but to enrich themselves. There is nothing more loathsome in the New Testament than using God in order to worship the false god of money.
Saint Paul warns Timothy that those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For, as he says, “the love of money is the root of all evils.” My brothers and sisters, notice that it is not money itself that is the root of all evil—it is the love of money. Why? Because our hearts should be fixed on loving one thing alone: to do the will of the Father. Yet money can so easily stifle that desire for holiness within us.
In today’s Gospel, we hear about the women who followed Jesus, as well as the disciples themselves. They were devoted to the Word of God that had come to them through Jesus—in fact, the Word of God who is Jesus himself. We hear of women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Chuza; Susanna; and many others. They provided for Jesus and the disciples out of their own resources.
These women, though blessed with abundance, were not attached to wealth for selfish gain. Instead, they placed their resources at the service of the Kingdom of God. They remind us that possessions are not evil in themselves, but what matters is how we use them and whether they draw us closer to God or away from him.
So, my brothers and sisters, let us reflect on how we too can use our own resources—our time, talents, and treasures—to further the Kingdom of God. Let us seek not only to do his will, but to love his will in our lives. Amen.
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