August 11, 2023
by Tamora Whitney
Creighton University's English Department
click here for photo and information about the writer

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin
Lectionary: 415

Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17
Matthew 18:15-20

Praying Ordinary Time


Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

Finding Our Way Back Home:
Getting Un-Stuck in Prayer Life

For what would it profit one to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?”

 It seems a lot of people think monetary success is most important. Their primary goal seems to be more money, more stuff:  bigger income, bigger house, bigger car. Some people will do whatever they have to in order to get this worldly success; they will lie, cheat, steal. They don’t care who they have to step on to get to that top.

This is not a new problem, but it’s never been the right solution. In the first reading Moses tells the people that the path to success is to keep the Lord’s statutes and commandments to prosper. Those commandments in fact say specifically not to lie or cheat or steal. It’s always been more important to do the right thing than the individually financially profitable thing.

Jesus tells his followers that they actually need to follow him. They need to follow his example, even when it isn’t easy, and it isn’t easy. Being selfish, only thinking of oneself isn’t the right way to go, it’s actually the opposite of the right way.

The things of this world are not truly valuable. The person who is only interested in material gain and monetary profits will not profit in the bigger sense. The things of this world are temporary. Material success is temporary. It’s more important to do the right thing and gain an eternal success. Losing one’s soul is not a good trade-off for gaining the world.  

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twhitney@creighton.edu

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