The parable for today speaks of "dishonest wealth," the literal translation is "the mammon of wickedness," and contrasts it with "true riches." (Lk 16: 11) Mammon has two meanings - money or wealth, and the demon of greed. St Paul, in his writings, points out: "... greed (which is idolatry)." (Col 3: 5) Idolatry is when I place somethings ahead of God in my life as the ultimate good. How many people in our society sacrifice true happiness in pursuit of money? Our passage for today concludes: "No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Lk 16: 13) The Second Reading tells us: "For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2: 5) Money does not mediate the eternal or the divine. Hopefully we know already, through observing the lives of others, that money cannot buy eternal life or indeed happiness in this life. I like the quip: "Money cannot buy you friends but it does buy you a better class of enemy." Material possessions are given to us so we may use them wisely for their true purpose which is arrived at through listening to the wisdom of the Gospel and discerning the greater good for ourselves and others. We are advised in the Book of Proverbs: "Better is a little with righteousness than large income with injustice." (Prov 16: 8)
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