Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of my favorite classic movies is "The Bells of St. Mary's," starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. In the movie, Bing Crosby plays a priest, Fr. O'Malley, who is working to save the dilapidated St. Mary's School. The only answer to the problem, according to the sisters who run the school, is for a very wealthy man, Mr. Bogartis, who has been erecting a new office building next to the school, to give the building to the school. Fr. O’Malley thinks the sisters are crazy, but their persistence and faith begin to convince him that this could be a possibility.

Mr. Bogartis prides himself on his business savvy, and the idea of giving anything away is abhorrent to him. As he faces poor health and a failing heart, Fr. O'Malley convinces him that he can give new life to his physical heart by building up his metaphorical and spiritual heart. And so, Mr. Bogartis begins to do things for others.

One scene in particular is very telling when Fr. O'Malley and Mr. Bogartis are discussing the virtues of generosity on a city street. There is a blind man selling pencils, and the very wealthy Mr. Bogartis, to prove that he is generous, drops a coin into the man's tin cup and then carefully picks out a pencil. As Fr. O'Malley looks on somewhat disapprovingly, Mr. Bogartis shamefully returns the pencil to the man, recognizing that the point is to be generous and not to buy a pencil.[1]

While our livelihood is certainly very important to us, sometimes we can unconsciously let money and wealth, or the prospect of it, rule our budgets and our hearts and spirits. Jesus' warning about wealth in today's Gospel is right on target: Mr. Bogartis' expectation of always getting something for his money, even a pittance, keeps him from the true spirit of generosity. Fortunately for him, he recognized this, albeit a bit late.

The mindless, unconscious quest for wealth can keep us from recognizing the love of those around us and lessen the value of compassion, forgiveness, hope, and joy, the real treasures of the kingdom of God.

Let us ask God to be with us as we seek to provide for our families and ourselves. Let us pray for open minds and hearts to understand how we are to share the gifts that God has given us, thus being faithful stewards of Creation.

[1] "The Bells of St. Mary's", Republic Pictures Corporation, Los Angeles, CA, 1945.