25th Sunday Year C 2025

We are challenged daily on the choice we face between God and money. Amos spells out the dangers of greed and dishonesty, warning us against those who trample on the poor and manipulate them for their own gain. Luke then challenges us to think carefully about how we use what we have, because in the end our loyalty cannot be divided – either we are rooted in God or we let ourselves be ruled by wealth. Paul, on the other hand, urges us to live prayerful lives full of honesty and peace, placing our trust firmly in God.

Honesty and trustworthiness stand at the heart of the readings. Wealth and possessions are not evil in themselves, but when we make them our master, when we twist the truth or treat others unfairly for personal gain, we lose sight of who we are called to be. God asks us to be faithful stewards, people whose word can be trusted and whose lives point beyond self-interest towards the generosity of Christ.

The foundation of our faith can never be based on money, success, or status. The bedrock of our faith is God – the God who created us, who sustains us, and who, in Jesus, gave everything to set us free. Jesus did not fight for personal glory or cling to comfort or wealth. Instead, he poured himself out in love – lifting the lowly, healing the broken and forgiving the sinner. His freedom was not for himself but a gift offered to every one of us, if only we will receive it.

This freedom lies at the heart of the Good News. To be free in Christ is to live without fear, knowing that our worth does not depend on money or status but on being loved by God. It is to be able to share generously, to speak truthfully, and to act with integrity even when no one is watching. It is to trust that God’s care is deeper and richer than anything we could buy or earn.

When we live this way, our lives become a witness. People see in us not selfish ambition but joyful service. They see not anxiety over possessions but confidence in God’s promise. They see not pride but a desire to reach out and help. And in this witness, others are drawn towards the same freedom, the same peace and the same love.

Therefore, take courage! Put your trust not in money but in God. Use what you have with honesty and generosity. Be faithful in little things so that God may entrust you with greater things. And, above all, remember that you have been set free by Christ – free to love, free to serve and free to live as children of God.

May this freedom fill you with energy, hope, and the desire to build others up, so that together we may be signs of God’s Kingdom here on earth – a kingdom of love and of hope!

More shaggy than dog! There was a small town in Texas close to the Mexican border. A few wealthy people lived there, including a quizzical doctor who owned a little motel called the Spanish Inn.

Last year, the inn burned down in a terrible fire. The doctor and his wife put in a claim with their insurance company. When the insurance investigators came to look at the damage with the police, they found signs that someone had set the fire deliberately. They could tell from the way the wooden beams had burned. The doctor thought it was probably an electrical fault, since the inn had very old wiring.

The case went to court and became the major talking point in the town. Because everyone knew the doctor so well, the court had to bring in a jury from another area. The trial went on for weeks, but the prosecution struggled to prove anyone was guilty.

Then, after four long weeks in court, something dramatic happened. The doctor's wife was giving her evidence when she suddenly broke down completely. She confessed to everyone that it was insurance fraud. She said the inn was falling to pieces and her husband desperately needed the money. The whole town was stunned. People had trusted him completely, simply because he was their doctor; and why wouldn't they?         

Nobody suspects the Spanish Inn physician.

By Fr. Thomas O'Brien a.a.